Navajo Spirit Rising
by Ja-9

Comment:
Wow, love the range of warm tones of reds, golds, and oranges the pop off the shadow blacks in this photo. The sculpted sand cave walls undulate like that of ocean waves. Movement and color beautifully captured in nature.

Pink Blossom
by peter

Comment:
Stunning colors and details in this lily - stargazer I think. The flower really leaps off the page and attracts our attention immdediately. Beautifully captured.

Soaring Over Stiltsville
by yakatme

Comment:
What a great action shot! Definately a different dynamic than the other Stiltsville shot. Action and fun as opposed to quiet solitude. Love the parasailer's expression as he hangs out in the sky. "Hey check me out!" it screams:-) Love the changing patterns & colors of the sky and the details in the ocean - including the cresting of the waves in the bottom left corner. I'll bet this makes/made a magazine spreed! Well done!

Watering can bung...
by anniek

Comment:
Oh my gosh! I hope this little guy did not stay stuck for long. Boy, he truly looks annoyed at his predicament! Composition, lighting and detail are great! Just one small critique and that is I think that the leading lines and shapes would have been stronger had you cropped such that the bottom of the spout was in the bottom left corner and the top of the spout with the stuck frog lined up with the top right corner. The lines would then be on a diagonal increasing the visual impact a little more.

From the Summer
by ineedauniquename

Comment:
Love the vibrant yellows and oranges that visually pop of the page. This sunflowers are lovely to look upon. My only critique (a small one at that) is that I wish the sunflower in the forefront was in the same sharp focus as all the others. Increasing the F-stop (8 or even higher) and slower shutter speed to let enough light in would greatly increase your DOF (Depth of Field) for both the background and foreground.

Mistaya River
by dragonlady

Comment:
This is without a doubt a truly gorgeous shot!It is truly a shame one cannot just jump into the picture like they do in the Mary Poppins film of this would be a wonderful place to explore. Composition and lighting and detailed DOF are just stunning. Love how the flowing river is in the center and acts as a curving road that the eye travels upon to arrive at the majestic mountain beyond the canopy of pines.

I Am Your Champion
by NodWag

Comment:
A contrast in ironies/stereotypes and emotion is what this photo captures best. The tough guy with the imposing tattoos which make one think of the rough crowd or gangster. Then the tiny life of the small baby; an innocent a helpless little one in need of protection. This tough man gently cradles the small baby a look of affection in his features and his body posture. The child reaches out to touch the heart of this gentle giant of a man - this man who pledges to be this child's protector. All the technicals aside (lighting, composition, and detail are perfect btw) this is a very strong human interest photo. An absolute 10.

The Potato Eaters
by ThingFish

Comment:
One of my highest rated photos in the bunch. This dinner scene captures the look and feel of the old world that has long gone by. I think of an irish family back in the early 1800's before the potato famine hit. I just find this so appealing in it's capture of what was just any every day occurence and to do it so well that it looks like a scene from a painting. Lighting, composition, and detail are all spectacular in this capture - 10 and a favorite.

"Hindsight"
by Rmac

Comment:
I remember seeing this somewhere and thinking to come back and leave a comment - only I could not remember where to find it. Now, I happily have the opportunity. Love the title - plays directly with the actions of the horse. I wonder what he/she heard that made him/her look back over the shoulder? Love the soft morning light that plays of the field - it gives the meadow grass a soft feel and a gentle glow. A lovely moment captured - 9

Together
by AlexSaberi

Comment:
Together against the elements - what a stunningly minimal nature shot. Great capture of this family of deer huddled together for warmth against the chill of the blanket of snow. I don't know if others are judging it harshly because of the amount of negative/white space but I think it works beautifully to capture the mood and feel of the moment. As I mentioned, the eye immediately drawn to the deer family in their struggle to keep warm in the great white wilderness. Love this - 9