Unity
by zclare

Comment:
Clever idea. The pastiness of the white hand is a distraction and an easy mark for negative hits IMO. It just doesn't feel right somehow... Another nit is the black's & white's don't match. The white of the Yin/Yang (whatever you call it) is greyish, the bg is yellowish, and the hand is much brighter than the other two. The black of the Yin/Yang thing is a deeper/truer black than the background area.

This is a tough concept to pull off, especially in a basic challenge that limits you in tweaking this some in selective areas.

All of the above is JMO of course. :-D Good luck in the challenge.

Silently Floating
by cloudsme

Comment:
Can't decide if I like the tight (at the top) composition or not. With it tight it kind of attaches to the border and makes the image seem like one unit and allows the legs/tentacles (whatever you call them) to grab more attention. This connection also makes the image feel like a container and as a viewer I'm peering in. Either way, I think others will make this same item a point of contention. Could impact your score a little. All JMO of course. :-) Good luck!

Make Peace With Each Other
by Judi

Comment:
Absolutely adorable!!! Good catch. You did a nice job handling the lighting, getting some fill on the near side to offset/balance the brighter background.

Waiting forever
by GunnarFreyr

Comment:
Very zenlike. Certainly says "Peace" without needing a word. Well done!

Peace
by Moose408

Comment:
I love the scarf. Her expression is right-on also. I find the background is distracting, and I really, really wish her face (especially the eyes) was in focus. Best of luck to you in the challenge.

A Winter's Hush
by Ken

Comment:
Ok. Which Michigander is this? :-D St. Joseph river...North pier, yes?

Great lighting captured here! Perfect time of day to be there.

Good luck in the challenge.

Drifting peacefully
by IreneM

Comment:
This is interesting. It's well focused and maybe a tad oversharpened. The streak in the back/upper-left is from the bowl or dish I take it...gives the image a sense of motion/movement which is cool. Lighting is a little hot in the extreme highlights of the leaf. Clever idea. Good luck in the challenge.

Rest In Peace
by everclear25

Comment:
It's eerie how realistic the eyes seem in this photo! Good luck to you in the challenge.

IMG_5126 web.jpg
by Marjo

Comment:
Hey, that's kinda cool the way the top butterfly at first glance seems to be upside down. It's not, but the way the body is higher than the wings makes it look that way, at least to me. :-) The shallow aperture really did a wonderful job taking out the bg. Nice!

Kate
by Rompy

Comment:
Wow! This is a stunning portrait. Very nicely done. Looks like a headshot for a magazine cover. I like how you've included just enough background to get some effective bokeh working as highlights and contextual setting.