Ornamental Dots
by JPR

Comment:
this is cute, and it the bw is fine. you have achieved a bokeh effect, for sure. the question is, what is the background doing for the image? is it distracting my attention from the subject, or is it enhancing my view of the subject? unfortunately, with the heavy dark negative space in the bottom right, the lights are competing, and, in my view, not really enhancing the image.

Pine Cone
by Judith Polakoff

Comment:
i like the idea behind the composition, but am not bowled over by the execution. while i like the general organization of the image, i don't like how the pine needles are melting into the background. the bokeh is fine, but i think your image would have been stronger if there was a bit more focus on the needles.

Cloud 9
by Beetle

Comment:
this is a great idea and a fun composition. it meets the challenge for me without over-doing it. however, the image itself seems a bit flat. maybe with a bit more contrast and a bit brighter, but as is, it's just not popping. good luck!

Finally Over!!!
by RayEthier

Comment:
this might not work for some voters, but i like it. you have met the challenge without over-doing it. good luck.

Heliconia
by Node

Comment:
this is an interesting image, but the lighting is a bit harsh. as a result, your bokeh is a bit more of a distraction than an enhancement. one way to adjust this is to add an overlay layer, select a large brush, set to opacity 30, then set your foreground color to black. then just lightly paint in the brighter areas. the composition is nice, and the colors are rich--it's just the background that needs work, imho. good luck.

United in Mourning
by HRoxas

Comment:
this is an interesting image. reminds me of a 60's poster/album cover. excellent focus. this image almost looks like an animated crowd watching the flame perform. interesting choice of colors for the final presentation. as far as bokeh goes, you have to answer for yourself as to whether or not you intended the hard edged circles. nice work. good luck.

I'm Look'n at You!
by debitipton

Comment:
love the treatment on this; excellent choice of colors. the razor sharp focus is really brought out by the background, which here enhances without distracting. you might have burned in the brighter part of the background up near the top, but it's not bad as is. great expression. this also would look good with more negative space up in the top left.

Northumberland
by spydr

Comment:
wow, eric! this is a killer image. what did you have to do to get this perspective? climb a water tower? this is beautiful! thanks for sharing.

The Southern Cross
by KiwiChris

Comment:
i may be wrong, but i'm not sure if you want to go all the way out to infinity, as that would be focusing beyond the stars. you might want to check out the threads; i'm pretty sure i've seen something about this in there.

Gone
by megryan

Comment:
nice, sharp image with a strong composition. the hand helps tell the story, and the bw works well. what i like most is the diagonal balance between the tree and the sky, split by the umbrella and arm. if you intended that, i would say "great job!" if you got lucky, then know that is what makes the image, and that is the type of thing to keep your eye out for when shooting. congrats on your top 30!