I opened two gifts this morning. They were my eyes
by pgirish007

Comment:
Lovely panorama of Manhattan, yet much more. The overall amber/golden tone implies, to me, ambivalence. The city is both dark and golden, shot through with shadows and insistent sunlight. The inflowing blue sky, as always, offers promise and redemption. I like the Freedom Tower's head in the clouds, and the glittering Hudson River. A deeper, layered view of the city.
Great title.

The Yard
by Yo_Spiff

Comment:
That plaintive yet delicious feeling close upon nightfall. This lovely image brings on a cascade of remembered sensations, sweet and hopefully to be revisited in our future days. The trains are solidly present and stretch on around the curves, especially the black-purple one in the foreground. The sunset colors give grandeur to the entire yard. Just in case it doesn't live on in my memory, I'm plunking it into my favorites.

Coming Around The Bend
by grahamgator

Comment:
This image is so expansive my eyeballs are going in different directions at once. It's like a deep breath. It's airy, like a watercolor. The left and right fifths are less interesting than the center, but their inclusion is what gives breadth. A seven course feast. Really nice.

Downhill
by Paul

Comment:
This is terrific. So minimal yet exciting, fun and mischievous. I think many, if not most, of us would thrill to a downhill dash. I admire how eloquent the lines are. I like how the man is placed, and how one's imagination can infer the upper and lower expanses. Perfect in black and white.

The Lake
by bbright

Comment:
Half-open eyes, am I still dreaming? It's that moment of doubt that's so appealing here. The mid-line at 120 adds to the unreality, as do the protruding rocks in the lake echoing the mountains. And then there's the pseudo-dynamism of the rocks as a pod of dolphins, with an attendant whale and other beasts. Beautiful subtle range of tones and detail, befitting a superior black and white. "The Lake" Here's proof that a simple, straight-forward title often affords greater resonance than one more prolonged.
Personal favorite of the challenge.

hurling an obscure epithet
by skewsme

Comment:
All three comments lament the soft focus, but I don't see it as necessarily a problem. It can be of great use in bringing out the shape and volume of a subject, a note of abstraction to take in with softened eyes.

Have You Seen My Money?
by bside123

Comment:
His expression and attitude, of course coupled with his shirt, is the most pointed and dead on in the challenge. There's no subtlety and quite a bit of intensity here. The way he's so closely focused expertly heightens the moment. Fascinating and stirring.

Swagger
by Ammie

Comment:
Terrific dynamic resonance in this seemingly minimalist image. We wonder what each of them are feeling. Seems like a lot going on, but how can we really know. The background of dried grass seems incidental, though I feel its sweep of tones and textures is a fitting and understated stage for this quiet drama, this foray into growing up. Nicely and simply balanced. Her red pants and his red socks tie it together.

Beloved
by Luciemac

Comment:
Fortunately, this kind of image is universal, love for a child, an outburst of joy. This is sweet and endearing, and a privilege to see. The dynamic composition and movement greatly contribute to the strength of the picture. In black and white there are no colorful distractions. Strong and uplifting.

The Light of Love
by Mona

Comment:
Their ease with each other, their affection, their happiness, all this comes through with a serenity that, okay the lighting helps, glows. The light is character in itself. How wonderfully her back-turned face emerges from it. Their body language is undramatic, without sweeping gestures, a moment, a haiku in time.
Personal favorite of the challenge.