1000 Years of Wisdom
by lukepeter

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment now.
Wonderful details and focus of the eye and the eyelashes. B&W on all but the iris and pupil keeps the audience's attention focused on your main element. The one main flaw is that shadow that obscures the lower portion of the eye. Although not the main focus of the eye it is however a distracting element. The color of the iris makes me think of the cosmos and expansion of the universe...which plays into what I see in the pupil. A sky full of stars...the universe. One thing that would make the imagery more stronger is that if you could have incorporated some planets into the composition of the pupil. It is very easy to create those photographically. Planets can be created from circle select tool and geometric effects tool from photos of slate, concrete,or dirt. To get a better sense of what I mean, Sigma Sector 957 will give you a visual result of what you can accomplish (more notes in the photographer's comment box).

Divine Inspiration
by tanguera

Comment:
Voted much earlier, coming back now to comment.Homer and his creative muse is my first thought. The gent in robes appears as either Greek or Roman. He sits awaiting inspiration to write the opening lines of the Iliad or mayhap the Odyssey. She appears off to his right (interesting I wonder if you intentionally placed her there to play into the symbology of the right hand and/ or that people who are right brained dominant are more creative). Love the halos around both of them - one is ethereal and the other a visual for one who has been touched by inspiration. Pose of the Muse is great very akin to classical paintings of old showing angels delivering inspiration or messages from the heavenly sphere. Lighting is, as always, spectacular. Love the bold hues of yellow and orange - which add a warmth to the scene...not to mention color. Nicely done.

Mysterious Ascensions
by AllenP

Comment:
Voted much earlier, coming back to leave comments now.

My very first impression/thoughts:
An ad for Citadel Propulsion Systems: Here at our remote forest facilities we carefully harvest the propulsion units needed for your floating citadel needs. With a carefully balanced application of magic, time, and water, the earth seeds grow to become what you need for your floating city or home.

O.K. now back to analysis. Without the expert editing you have a fabulous landscape shot. The lighting and colors just give off a feel of a warm inviting day at the lakeside. With the expert editing elements - you now have something very surreal happening to the landscape. Beauty now has some mystery to it. Nicely done.

Won't Be Silenced
by MinsoPhoto

Comment:
Voted earlier in the day, coming back to comment now. The first thing I thought when I saw this was that it would almost fit the title of Harlan Ellison story "I Have no mouth and I Must scream". But then looking at the screaming mouths I got more of the creep out factor of the Mouth of Sauron (if you have seen the LOTR movies you will understand what I am speaking about). The magic? - My guess that it is a wicked witch cast a nasty spell on this gent and now he is cursed. Composition is some freaky magic and blending very well done.

Tiger Lady
by bobnospum

Comment:
Voted earlier in the day, coming back to leave comments.

You have some excellent detail in the iris of the eye and the eye itself. However, the snow tiger/leopard does not look flush with the surface of the pupil to look like it is a reflection or rather that is the inner soul of the person whose eye one gazes into here. It just doesn't look right - the tiger looks pasted on. My guess is that you wanted the animal to show that the person may look human but the clue that this person is a shapeshifter is in her eyes. If so, shrinking the tiger to a smaller size that would fit into the pupil would help. In addition, doing some trial and error with the geometric effects tool of warp, circle and cylinder - vertical on the tiger itself to see if you can get the curvature to match that of the eye.

Once Upon A Summer Scene
by adigitalromance

Comment:
Voted earlier in the day, coming back to comment now. Great work here! Love that warm, orange glow on the little mushroom houses. It adds that warm, welcoming feel of 'home'. I feel like I have been walking in the woods and something caught my eye. Moving some branches out of the way on a bush I spot this little mushroom homes. Little woodland fairies or pixies live here I imagine. Fabulous work - hope to see this in the top 5.

Anubis Awaits
by Osiris1975

Comment:
Voted earlier in the day, coming back to leave comments now.

I absolutely love the shadow on the wall with the egyptian engravings on it. To me that is what it mysterious. Keeping the statue in the composition lessens the impact of the mystery of what exactly does the creature look like who is casting it.Idea is good but it has potential to be even better. There is just something missing...something that would add to the story and make it even more compelling. Perhaps Anubis could be stalking an archeologist who dared enter a sacred tomb or something else. BTW - One thing to note. I looked at this on the P.C. and later had the chance to look at it on the laptop whose monitor is brighter. The statue almost blends into the darkness with the P.C. while the laptop it is much more visible. With darker images you never how your audience's is seeing it because all monitors are calibrated differently. The darker 'version' I like better because as I mentioned that fabulous shadow on the wall is where the real magic & mystery lies.

We were expecting you sir...this way if you please
by daisydavid

Comment:
Voted earlier in the day, coming back to leave comments.

What mysterious, surreal world have we landed in here? Perhaps William Wegman's Weimaraner's have taken over the world in the far flung future. The hanging 'lantern' makes think this patron is about to walk into an restaurant. Don't know what the long flowing thing that cuts across the composition but I will let my imagination run wild as that I suspect that is what you want your audience to do. Very well, that is one seriously long arm on the waiter. I imagine he can definitely point the guests to their seats without ever having to move from his spot at the front door:-)

The Magical Money Tree
by sjhuls

Comment:
Voted earlier in the day, coming back to leave comments now.
I'd have a big basket in hand and a great, big smile on my face too if I had a money tree in my backyard:-):-):-) Where can I order one of these?:-):-)Great processing and nice attention to details from the money leaves to the big basket and the big smile on the model (yourself I am sure;-) ) I just wish it wasn't on such a stark, white backdrop and instead had a little of an environment feel to it - maybe some clouds and a fence. While it keeps the attention on the important and prominent elements it just feels a bit barren. Nonetheless this should do very well for it is well done and fits the challenge in my mind.

Incubus
by Paul

Comment:
Voted earlier in the day, coming back to comment now. I don't know *WHAT* I am looking at here, but the mystery & spook factor of it is raising the hairs on the back of my neck. I would get the hell away if I saw this running through the woods. Let it remain a mystery and roam the woods. Very good processing that turns this shot of a person into a creature who roams this strange and eerie woods.