unsettled atmosphere
by tvsometime

Comment:
I do enjoy the mood of this scene. Pretty sure I know exactly which intersection in northwest Austin this is near. I used to work in this area many years ago!

point of inflection
by PennyStreet

Comment:
The framing of this one really does make all the difference. :-)

Madonna
by LevT

Comment:
Wow, those eyes...such an amazing capture!

Personally, as heretical as it sounds, I find the baby's defocused head just a tad distracting. Recognizing that the child is also a key part of the story here, I might try cropping for something more like 8x10 such that the child's forehead and hand are visible in the frame, but not the whole head.

elevation
by mitalapo

Comment:
Not voting yet, but I have to say this is probably my personal favorite in the challenge on first blush. The title is inspired. I love how it makes the sense of place and the person's experience of place-in-the-place the main storytelling element. Personally, I would have cropped a bit tighter on the left, to capture the mountain peak while still placing the subject a little off-center and to make the leading line of the handrail a little less distracting from the horizon.

Rainbow Glasses
by DistantColours

Comment:
Great use of the Rule of Thirds here. I'm dying to know what the story is behind this moment.

The author
by Neat

Comment:
Not voting yet. But wanted to say this one exhibits a level of skill with posed portraiture that I truly admire. It takes both a cooperative subject and a gifted photographer for a moment like this to work this beautifully--to be obviously "composed" yet still register as authentic to the personality of the subject. It definitely has that "book jacket" or "speaking engagement" byline feel to it, and I imagine the subject would feel very flattered by it.

Ray Ban
by Paul

Comment:
For me, the film grain on this one gives it a sort of retro glamour. Would have made an amazing Advertisement entry in that challenge. :-)

Romance Interrupted?
by glad2badad

Comment:
Love this composition. The title, to me, suggests something subversive about the editing choices--makes me wonder how this might look if it had been stylized under something like a cracked glass overlay or grunge vignette to visually interrupt the softness of the scene. A top picks for me this challenge.

safe
by mitalapo

Comment:
Feels like a candid moment that only existed for a split second, and you managed to freeze it in time and draw out its emotional resonance with the soft processing. Truly lovely.

Sunset
by tivo

Comment:
My favorite in this challenge, not only because it's a lovely scene, but also because it's precisely its alignment with the theme challenge that makes it work.