Incoming
by Pooba

Comment:
Hysterical! What timing :) A little dodge on the side of their heads might have helped to bring their faces out of the shadows a bit more. Nice shot!

Three French Hens
by bandit

Comment:
Very unique composition and setup. Lots to look at here. The border is very distracting though... I guess you were going for colors of the French flag to tie it into the challenge, but visually it just doesn't work for me.

Three French (German) Hens (Ducks)
by Melethia

Comment:
Ok, this one seems like a bit of a shoehorn into the challenge, but I love the red reflections in the ripples of the water here. They just add something unique to the shot.

Hobbes
by Maverick

Comment:
What an adorable little ball of fun! Looks like he'll be a great model as he grows up as well as a fun companion! Merry Christmas!

Chipper
by jenesis

Comment:
Look at that face! How cute! I'm sure you.. er.. your son will enjoy his company! :) Merry Christmas!

This is what I was made for!
by chunky

Comment:
Looks like he's thinking "Are ya done taking my picture yet? Can I go play now? Come on.. hurry up!" Great shot!

Winter Sunset
by Bear_Music

Comment:
Congrats Bear! :) One of my top picks for the challenge... glad to see the voters agreed with me on this one! I have to agree with you that I like how this isn't a glaringly obvious tone mapping. Wonderfully done and a well deserved ribbon!

~the way you have never seen me~ to James with true love, from Russia
by silverfoxx

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club!

When I first voted on this one, I didn't see the connection to the challenge, and I think that may be the case of why this didn't score higher. When I think of James Bond, I think of movies, and maybe even some film grain for the older movies, but not a painted canvas picture.

That being said, I think this is a wonderful portrait, which really portrays a wonderful feeling. The pose, clothing, jewelery and lighting are all wonderful, and the treatment you've used to give it that canvas look feels authentic, which I often find not to be the case when some of those filters are used.

I think the biggest criticism I have is the cropping. It feels tight at the top, and too wide to the right. I'm not sure if I like so much being shown below the waistline... I might have cropped a bit off of the bottom to give more room at the top?

Overall, this was a creative interpretation for the challenge, but perhaps a bit too out of the box for some voters. The photo was well thought out, and beautifully processed.

Choir for sale
by Melethia

Comment:
I like the composition and dof here... those little curly tipped trees in the background add a sense of whimsy to the singers. But, something about the coloring feels off to me. Perhaps an adjustment of the white balance before taking the shot would have helped.

Stock photography 101
by nico_blue

Comment:
Clever take on the challenge. I wonder how many people will get it, and how many will just vote it down thinking the guy is selling a blank piece of paper. The lighting needs to be diffused a tad for my tastes though.