Teen
by the99

Comment:
Imaginatively handled intimate portrait that looks in part like a woodcut. If not offered to us by the photographer, I'd almost feel like I were intruding. Sensitive and charming.

Contemplation
by MAK

Comment:
Marvelous study of overwhelming depth. Beautifully sits in the frame. It reminds one of the flower sermon.

Safe Harbour
by pamb

Comment:
Serene land/seascape that feels like a John Constable painting. Quite beautiful. The centralized horizon works, for me at least, because the mast and rigging stitch the halves together.

Reach
by markwiley

Comment:
A latter day raising of the flag at Iwo Jima, yet here it is a triumph of the spirit. It easily holds its own in the central placement of the athletes. Great picture.

Icy edge
by IreneM

Comment:
The color tones and textures combine to make this an impressive study.

like spotting a cat
by mitalapo

Comment:
A hot image that fills the frame to bursting. Exciting and "brassy".

Ripples
by Neat

Comment:
That it looks like moonlight yet is overcast lends this image a spectral character. Yes, the ripples are really nice. And the bracketing vegetation provides visual anchor points. Softly haunting.

it takes forever
by PennyStreet

Comment:
Beautiful image in and of itself, but elevated to a more interesting level by the moody, scratchy processing. It's a filigree embedded in a dream. Lovely, modulated blues. A feeling poem.
One of my two favorites in this challenge.

Exit
by Paul

Comment:
Can't see, in my opinion, this image not taking the blue ribbon. It's moody, challenging, fascinatingly lit, spacious, nicely tinted, scratchy and absolutely appropriate for a square shape.
About this scratchiness, how is it achieved? I like the deliberate scruffiness and visual dissonance it imparts. My two favorite images in this challenge, this one and "it takes forever", utilize this effect.

Pumpkin on the Porch
by grahamgator

Comment:
Beautifully composed and colored still-life with an understated yet powerful presence. The shapes and textures are simple, various and harmonious. The way the stem carves the background is masterful. The way the screen resembles a canvas is another telling touch.