Vodka, the Russian Spirit
by Budya

Comment:
I love the vibrant 'ice' blue tones in this shot. Very catching and attractive colors and the composition is simple and clean. Lighting is spot on. While the technicals of the shot are really great, the composition relies a little to heavily on the title to make a connection to a country. Without a recognizable liquor bottle or even a small flag to identify the country WITHIN the shot there is no way to identify this spirit with the country. While this is very definately on the high end of an above average shot that attention to detail WITHIN the shot (a small flag, a map of russia, or a liquor bottle with russia's name on it) to define the main subject would have placed it in the exceptional category (8-10 range).

Kimonos (and Cameras)
by Pug-H

Comment:
The colors on this candid are lovely. The kimono as a symbol of japanese culture comes across with the dress this little girl is adorned in. It also *seems* to brush/touch upon the stereotype of the Japanese tourist always taking pictures with the camera. I say seems because that has been a stereotype but I think it is much more interesting to note that it is human spirit to want to capture the beauty or feeling of an event that they experience. That is what I see in this young girl as she stops to look at the picture she has just taken. This candid tells me a story of this young girl at a local cultural fair that is 'documenting' her day spent there. But there is one thing lacking - what is the emotions: sad, happy, wistful, etc. The biggest weakness is that we don't get to see her eyes and face much. The eyes and facial expression could tell us so many things including emotion. I would have liked to have seen more of her face and eye expressions. I know she is absorbed in the camera and her gaze in downwards. It would have been a difficult but perhaps not impossible shot if this was taken at an angle that was more lower to the ground looking up rather than it being a straight & level shot as it appears to be. As that this appears to be a candid picture it might have been fortuitous to take several more shots with the young girl looking up and showing us her facial expressions as she looks around or searches for next picture to capture:-)

La Tour Eiffel - France
by Melethia

Comment:
The Eiffel Tower is most definately a recognized symbol of France. I love how you composed this with the fountain and street that acts as leading lines to towards the Eiffel Tower. Those leading lines also travel off to the horizon's vanishing point but not before our eyes see the outlines of the city that center around this grand monument. I also like how you chose the vertical to not only compliment the majestic tower but the shooting water fountains act like a 'parting curtain' that open up so that the eye travels on the leading line to the main attraction: the Eiffel Tower. I do have one critique and that is I think just a tad more boost to the contrast would make the B&W tones even more dynamic such that it pops of the page even more. I do like the B&W because it calls attention to the details, shapes, and lines but I do wonder what this looks like in color. Great work: 8

From the Hands of the Bakers - Spirt of Hard Work to Feed a Nation
by PGerst

Comment:
The slight sepia/warm brown tones really gives this a feel of an old photograph. I really get the feel of an immigrant who labors hard at his baker's shop to achieve the American Dream. The subject and that sepia tone just brings me to an early 1900's era - a very much bread and butter "Great Gatsby" type era representation. The lighting is excellent, the composition of elements is wonderful, and this is a creative capture of a spirit of the country and an era in it's time. Great work - 9.

Red, White and Blue - American Football - USA
by Dirt_Diver

Comment:
Great portrait and symbolic representation of the country's competitive spirit - not to mention a national pasttime to sit and watch the sport:-) Lighting is spot on. We see the full illumination of his face with no harsh shadows at all.Kudos to you excellent lighting on your subject. Colors are great and love the attention to detail. There are the colors on his uniform that have the red, white and blue and the nice attention to detail is the USA that can be clearly seen on the berm in the backdrop. Now I have to spoil the praise by adding a critique;-) I do have one suggestion that I feel would improve the shot and that is cropping. The sun in the backdrop really does nothing for the composition - you could have easily cropped the top off where there is only 2-5 pixel space above his helmet such that it is only the football player and the USA on the berm that dominate the whole of the photograph. Anyway, great composition, lighting and meets the challenge wonderfully. One of the handful of top rated ones: 9

Deer Point Conspiracy
by Jutilda

Comment:
When all things come together like the lighting and the deer stepping out into the open area, it could not be more perfect. Don't you just love being in the right place at the right time:-) This is such a beautiful and magical moment captured - we do not have to fear to breath for it might disturb the moment and cause the deer to flee the scene. This moment is forever captured so that anyone who visits can marvel and appreciate it. I love the warm golden colors that envelop the deer in a soft halo. The color just adds to the magical feel of the moment.

:-( I am sorry to hear that you were unable to recover the original, I was hoping that you could get it back. It still resides in my memory as a winner as I am sure it does in many others here at the site.

snowglobe_high_priest.jpg
by Art Roflmao

Comment:
Been away for a few days and I log in to see the thread ...The lost Order of the Dragon Palantirs, I presume. Thanks for the much needed laugh:-):-D

Parsonage Hill General Store
by bassbone

Comment:
The slight sepia tones really complement the ol'tyme feel of this photo composition of a general store. One notices the rough feel of the boards, the textures of the place touched by time...I can almost see and breathe in the dust that was kicked up by my intrusion on a place that time has passed by. Love the grouping of items showing off detail of the place in small that you show us on the left. The right panel then shows off the full view of the store - what was once the hub of the place where all transactions must have taken place.

Together at Last
by VitaminB

Comment:
B&W tones are wonderful and dynamic. Love the idea presented here with the two lovers seperated but nonetheless reaching out to kiss one another. The final panel shows that they have 'broken' through the barrier that keep them seperate and they are now reunited in last panel. The only thing that detracts from the wonderful presentation of this story is that both the lady and the gentleman are 'grounded' in the same plane. She hovers over him in the top panel but yet seems to exist on the same ground plane he does. This conflicts a bit with the idea of them being in separate 'spheres' or apart. The presentation is still strong enough to carry off the idea but it's just one of those things that makes one do a doubletake with conflicting signals...I hope that makes sense.

The Three Amigos
by ErikV

Comment:
The details these head shots of these owls is absolutely stunning! In some areas I can actually count the fine filiments/hairs of the feathers. Those eyes just stare out and grab hold of you. I also love how you arranged your triptych of these owls vertically - it brings to mind the totem poles of the pacific northwest. Lighting is absolutely wonderful fully illuminating all three faces of these nocturnal birds.