A Soldier's Candlelight After a Firefight
by Art Roflmao

Comment:
I like the little flare on the right, it helps balance the subject. The flame and highlights on the shell casings are somewhat blown-out, maybe exposure bracketing would be helpful. I like the subtle star effect.

incandescence
by xtine

Comment:
Very nice composition--I like the use of black negative space on top and white below to frame the subject.

night terrors
by mesmeraj

Comment:
The emotion in this is great. Though I would have prefered it to be overall darker to be more reminiscent of the time of day. I personally like the graininess--it gives a hint of being dark despite being light. Others may not.

Fresh Snow
by TommyMoe21

Comment:
Although this is generally a very peaceful and beautiful image, the star effect seems somewhat distracting and gimmicky, IMHO.

Who!!!! Says Its Too Late!!
by cheegirl

Comment:
I didn't vote in this challenge, but probably would have given the photo an 8--and the model a 10! What a trooper. Great image--you did a great job at keeping as much detail in the snow as you did. Congratulations on your yellow snow image! Uh, so to speak...

Dark Mood
by BaldurT

Comment:
Nice portrait! I would like to see the candlelight more integrated with the composition though--I wouldn't have guessed that this was done using candlelight if it wasn't in a candlelight challenge. I do like the composition, though. :-)

Circle of Friends
by Prism

Comment:
(Now where have I heard that title before? ;-) ) Very nice! Though I think I'd prefer this either in black and white, or with a green candle, to maintain more continuity between the figures and the candle. I like the composition though--the candle is more-or-less centered, but the figures are asymmetric. Cool. :)

Hidden View
by vtruan

Comment:
Very Christmasy, though not very candley. ;-) It's a bit dark and the focus is a bit soft, but I like the composition and like that you used black-and-white. You might want to experiment with PhotoShop (or equivalent) to try to artificially sharpen the image some, and perhaps adjust intensity levels to whiten Santa's beard up a bit. :-)

Big things come in small packages
by json

Comment:
Hope you didn't loose your eyebrows on this one! I have no clue what the candle is sitting on, which is a little disconcerting. I think a pure black background, a more centered composition, and more tonal depth and detail in the flame (though it's quite impressive as it is) would make this really stand out. (Easier said than done, eh? ;-) ) Good job!

P O R C E L A I N
by Bear_Music

Comment:
"Honey? Why is there a candle floating in the toilet?"

There are some drip marks in the back of the toilet that could be either cleaned or cloned-out, as well as a few small specks on the lid. (Though it's still way-cleaner than mine.) I like the little flare on the bottom, maybe that could be brought out by repositioning the camera slightly? Though spending too much time on setup may make family members begin to wonder what's going on in there. Overall, surprisingly photogenic. Perhaps it could be retitled "YYYEEEOOOUUUCCCHHH!!!"? Would like to see more details in the candle--maybe more external lighting would be helpful? 7.