galloping through the air
by skewsme

Comment:
This is too smooth. And yet it is quite nice. I like the smooth everywhere except on the butterfly's wings. It just seems like that not having detail ruins the effect. Still a 7, though.

Wet with a touch of everything else
by JulietNN

Comment:
oh wow!!! I wonder if you should have cropped down just a tad. Still leave some blue, but not quite as much.

Some Much Neded Rain
by jcar

Comment:
7 - you need to clone out the sensor dust. and it looks like there's a hair on the left side (the curl near the top) Such a great image, but those things really detract from it.

Guarding the emptiness
by Ammie

Comment:
This would have been so much more effective if there weren't a lot of birds flying. If he was the only bird, and the rest was empty, it would have been awesone. Especially the razor wire emphasizing that the world needs to keep out. It's an intriguing photo, but it just doesn't meet the challenge, imo. -5-

Silence where there used to be Sound
by Lydia

Comment:
I love the idea. I love the processing. The only thing of which I'm not sure is the tilt. It threw me off at first, then I thought "yeah -- that works", and then I changed my mind and didn't like it again. But I think the whole reason is seeing that 1/5 of the left side of the photo. That draws my eyes, since it's in the shadows, but still can be seen. I expect something wonderful in there, but then it's empty (yes, I know, emptiness) and I feel dissatisfied. I think I would have absolutely adored it if the photo was cropped in from the left and that whole corner, indent was left out. Or, if there was more of that area--maybe about 1.5 times the size it is now -- so that you realized the whole place was empty - not just that one part with the stool.

Is this an Anita? It reminds me of her toning. 7 for now. Probably moving to an 8. But I think it would have been a 9 with either of those thoughts.

Barren Expanse
by jcar

Comment:
Your photography has gotten very good, but this one falls short, imo. The biggest rule in landscape photograph is: don't center your horizon. Have it fall at the 1/3 or 2/3s vertical.

That being said, it's a great rule to break with the right shot. This one, however, I don't think does the halfway-horizon justice. I think you would have been much better off with the horizon at the top 1/3. The clouds are quite nice, but not nearly as interesting as the lower portion, so they're given too much credit with this arrangement. -5-

Side eye
by Paul

Comment:
This is brilliant. I only gave it a 7, and I'm not sure why. Too fast on voting, I think. And rather disappointed with the entries (my own included). I need to go back and relook instead of rushing through.

This is pretty much the effect I was going for, and you succeeded where I failed. I found it very difficult to have a looking up shot look unusual or different.

Huge congrats on the blue!!

My Fur Babies
by ladpupmoe

Comment:
I like the idea a lot, but the blending isn't working well for me. Too sharp of edges where there should be some soft fur.

Aphrodite rising
by markwiley

Comment:
I like the idea quite a bit, but it doesn't seem to blend well at the bottom. And the shadow on the wall seems awfully dark for the composition. Also, it seems sepia toned at the top, but more blueish down at the bottom. I'd like the tones to work together a bit more. Maybe it would blend better then. 6

Angry Bird
by MeMex2

Comment:
I missed voting on this one, but I absolutely love it. What an incredible capture! (They're right though -- definitely the wrong title, imo. It looks more like an "Awwwww mom.... but all the other birds can " type of story. :)