Brooklyn Bridge
by JPR

Comment:
Since I couldn't possibly imagine making this image better, I'm giving it a 10 and fully expecting it to win a ribbon.

Shades of San Francisco
by blanceric

Comment:
Fabulous use of desaturation. This is one of the coolest shots of the GG bridge I've seen. I love the picture.. but not the feathered border. 8 from me

Pirouetting Dandelions
by Neil

Comment:
The set of pictures done in this style are as a whole very cool- but this one in particular. The gentle curves that showed up in the dandelion petals are remarkable. I think that this would be a great image for a summer tablecloth or a doormat (if you don't find it insulting for me to say that one of your images would make a proper doormat. What I suppose I mean is that it's pleasant and subdued, and would make a good sort of 'background' image- something that you don't often attend to but if you do, it can hold your interest).

Yeah. I'm glad you posted these!

Capture the light
by pitsaman

Comment:
I don't know much about infrared photography, but this looks like an example of it. I guess deciduous trees show up white, while coniferous trees show up black? Very striking almost monochromatic palette. The minimalist composition is compelling while the veil of fog with the texture of the foliage keeps it from being stark. Bumping from 8 to 9.

Spring in a Prism Vase
by Xilebo

Comment:
The most striking thing about this picture is, as I'm sure you intended, the sort of impressionistic patches of light at the top center. Looks like light being refracted through the vase you mention in the title. I've often taken pictures of such refractions by themselves, but never had the creative presence of mind to integrate that into a more complex composition. Bravo for good work.

Three
by RingoKid

Comment:
Returning to comment. This is definitely a "gotcha" picture: I have no idea what this is. My best guess is a single hair or a filament or wire of some kind, but with this degree of abstraction, it's pretty much impossible to be sure. I like the minimalism a lot.

I'm giving this an 8, and I would have given it a 9 if the long yellow line on the left were just a bit closer to the center. It's hovering around the 1/4 mark rather than the generally preferable 1/3. Still, I think this is a great picture, and I look forward to seeing how you did it.

I'm afraid that this image may be scored substantially lower than it deserves, being possibly too far "out there" for most voters' tastes. But you never know- and good luck in the final standings!

Reflective Arrangement
by nikon_girl

Comment:
Returning to comment, bumping from an 8 to a 9.

I'm beginning to understand why stellar images like this so often will get a smattering of 1's and 2's - my submission is hovering around a 6.5, and the petulant child in me wants to give this a 1 just so my picture has a slightly better chance of taking a ribbon :P If this one doesn't place, I will be quite surprised.

In another challenge, I might have given this a 10. The colors are glorious, as is the lighting, and the composition is definitely unusual. What prevents me from giving this the highest mark is that despite its evident creativity, it doesn't make me say "How the heck did he do that?" or "I never would have thought of that." The technique is clear just from looking at the image, which can be a good thing, but I think a bit of mystery would have been of benefit in this case.

Nonetheless, this is a great picture, and I hope to see it featured on the front page on the 26th.

Lightscape
by tomtitus

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

Ah, the lengthy-motion-blur-caused-by-driving-at-night technique. It's a fun one. I'm guessing that this is one of several that you took during this particular outing and selected this one from them. The colors and lines are interesting, which shows that you've got a good eye for composition. The problem is that, at root, this is the sort of photograph that probably everyone takes at one time or another, and the more of them you see, the more you realize that they all look pretty much the same. Unfortunately, there is very little to meaningfully distinguish between most pictures of this sort of thing- they are all streaks and blobs of light with very little form.

Also, the challenge was about the out-of-focus elements of the background, and the whole image here is a blur. It doesn't actually meet the challenge well at all.

I looked at some of your profile photographs (what are those-herons?) and those looked good to me. You also have an excellent camera, so it seems like you're in generally good shape. Just keep taking pictures!

three faces , one exposure
by rhipster

Comment:
You like this technique, don't you :)
Great job with it- the positions of your head are remarkably symmetrical and the exposure is very good. But since I've seen a number of your other pictures with this sort of setup it's unfortunately pretty clear that this is a refinement of a technique you have already used, not something new.

One of the drawbacks of having a distinct style, I suppose :)

A Peace of Liberty
by Sailingduck

Comment:
Done in basic editing..? How can this be..!?@