Vigilant
by GregoryB

Comment:
Wow, you have captured some fabulous detail in this bird of prey. The feathers take on the appearance of spikes for the way they jut out and adorn the bird's head. Great sharpness on the eye - nice and clear that we can gaze into the eyes of this hunter. My only thoughts/critique is that I wonder if you could have accomplished even more of a bokeh effect (larger aperature) with the backdrop without sacrificing the sharp detail in the bird. The lines on the backdrop run counter to the bird of prey's feathers and it a touch distracting.

In the land of the lost...
by Rgarcia

Comment:
Absolutely wonderful colors of green and oranges and I love the fabulous amount of detail I see in the skin. The texture of the circular scales of the skin really keep my attention - fabulous, almost feel like I can reach out and touch the iguana.

CANYON GUARDIAN
by pickster

Comment:
Wow, fabulous shot and wonderfully composed! Love the way the light falls upon the far canyon wall that it almost looks like an island in the distance. The unique tree adds visual interest and the top half really pops dramatically off of the skyscape. My only critique is while the tones are dramatic in the top half of the photo, the bottom half of the composition is flat. Understandably, it is because that half falls into shadow. Perhaps use of brightness/contrast and shadow/highlight/midtones would make that area pop more but you might just want to select the bottom half of the photo, feather to avoid hard edges, and then apply those tools.

Cabo
by Zoomdak

Comment:
What really makes this photograph of the ocean waves crashing upon the rocks on the shore is that sweep of water. The long exposure captured the pleasing curve of the water rushing in and out. That sweep creates high visual interest.

Bar Harbor Light
by TLL061

Comment:
Beautiful scenery of an ocean sunrise by the craggy rocks of the shore. Love the composition where you have the lighthouse included in the scenery for it creates an interesting juxtaposition. The lighthouse shines it's beacon at night while the shine shines it's light during the day. The composition is an interesting dichotomy of symbols representing night and day - although I'm sure that you just saw it simply as a lovely scenery that merits a picture and that it is:-) The colors are quite lovely and love how the sunlight illuminates the scene with a soft light. My only critique is that the photo could be even more visually appealing if you ran the photo through a noise reduction program. The noise is most visible in the dark clouds and to a lesser degree the craggy rocks on the left side of the composition.

Tis a braw bricht moonlicht nicht
by Ecce_Signum

Comment:
...and a guid time for a wee drappie. I wad do a deoch an dorus, but I'm a'ready at hame.

Scottish in title and my guess Scottish in moor for the lakeside as well. The processing really brings out the details in the clouds and turns them into something surreal & otherworldly. I'm not sure if that is strength or a con when it comes to the full composition but it does make it eyecatching. Love the reflections upon the water and the details of the pebbles that light the dark shore like stars in the night sky. There is a slight blue tone to the B&W that helps invoke the idea of a very cold, and chilly time by the lake.

Green Pastures
by wsteyn

Comment:
Really beautiful countryside. My guess would be Ireland or the English country. Love the colors and the gentle rolling hills of the pasture. The houses, the stone walls, and the cows in the forefront complete this lovely pastoral scene.

Ghan Line - Pimba
by in2truth

Comment:
If one is willing they learn something new every day...googled the title and found out the it is a railway line in Australia...some interesting history with the original line too. But I am getting off topic - I have looked at this composition several times and each time it is the lines that stand out. Overall the composition is a study of lines and shapes but the track lines that lead off into the horizon is most commanding and draws the eye (indeed, it makes me think back to Junior High art lessons on the horizon line and vanishing point using a train track as an example). The traffic bars and and the railroad crossing lights are in sharp silhouette but nonetheless cue our eye as to identify the lines as railroad tracks. The lines and shapes along with the sunset hues to the sky make this a very eye appealing minimalist composition.

Bear
by WriteHeart

Comment:
Way cool to have seen this bear out in the wild...hope you were not too close for safety reasons. But what a sight right! Good capture but there are some things that can be/could have been done to make this a great capture. First off I think you can bring us closer to the action by cropping away most of the dry grassy field. The bear in the picture now only occupies maybe 30% of the space. Have us get up close and personal with your main subject - have the bear fill 60 to 80% of the space. Shame that the bear's eye is closed for the eye is the window to the soul and making 'eye' contact always boosts up the visual interest and appeal of a photo. Lastly the focus on the bear is a bit soft with some fine detail in the fur and body being lost. Some of that detail can be regained if you use USM or unsharp mask to bring back some sharpness. Be careful not to overdo it though. You can also apply some brightness/contrast and/or shadow/highlight/midtone to bring out more detail in the differences between the light and shadow. I think your main subject will then pop more visually and regain some detail lost from the soft focus.

The Great Vanishing
by Kelli

Comment:
There is the poignant message in this photograph - normally the reflection of other objects on the glass would weaken the focus on the main subject/composition. You however incorporate that into what you want your audience to see. This great gorilla seems to vanish into the stone. Protected under glass we can see this great ape at any time - but in the wild they are disappearing. Even under glass the gorilla fades out into the stone. The species is vanishing before our eyes...and if we do nothing to stop it they will vanish altogether. One thing that you could not control but would have further strengthen the idea if you had the luck to catch it - the gorilla putting his hand to the glass either open hand or touching with one finger. The gesture would signify a reaching out or looking for contact.