Touching The Surface Of The Natural Mirror (retouched #2)
by sz1_

Comment:
Nice re-visioning of a winning shot. I actually prefer this version, and I loved the first one. Possibly something in between would be even more optimum; the blues may be a little too saturated in this version.

Chulo
by ajschel

Comment:
Leaving grain issues aside, the main "shortcoming" of this shot is a lack of "life" in the eyes. Typically on animal face closeups like this a sense of luminosity int he eyes pays big bonus points. Also this image is overall very flat feeling, with little tonal variation even between cat and BG, let alone throughout the cat itself.

Sharpness and DOF are exceptionally nice here. It's all-in-all a very nice image; it just lacks that extra POP that would boost its memorability factor.

Three Pair
by bobdaveant

Comment:
I had this one pegged as a "hopeful"; I think it deserves a ribbon, if only because it steers a different course than most of the entries and does it extremely well. In my personal aesthetic, this image is a deep, moody winner.

A Place in Hell
by JPR

Comment:
Way cool shot. Love the way it seems as though the entire structure is collapsing and sliding off into the lower left. Awesome work.

Early Morning Bee
by Pug-H

Comment:
I think you did great; it has an edgy, hyper-real immediacy to it. I think this should have scored higher int he challenge, myself.

Deo Vindice
by jmsetzler

Comment:
Glad to see this one do so well, John. One of my highest votes. Classic, timeless, lovely to contemplate. I'd have expected to see a ribbon on this, myself...

Rebel
by gaurawa

Comment:
Very, very nice. Glad it did so well!

Out of here
by heida

Comment:
If ever a challenge was made-to-order, it's this one for you and Joey, and look! Blue & Red! I like that this is NOT the "typical" moody-stormy-landscapey shot that you do so well. One of my high picks. Congrats!

Desolation
by Joey Lawrence

Comment:
Exceptionally nice, Joey. Kinda figured you'd be in the money on this challenge :-)

Ancient, Modern, Polished
by msdoubletrouble

Comment:
hahaha! I just noticed we TIED in score for this one... I wonder why you're listed ahead of me? jejeje™