Mystery of the Night Creatures
by Hubern

Comment:
Is that thing real? It looks fake to me.

Aside from that, the dead-center subject, lack of sharp focus, and harsh lighting/shadow all detract. Trying to think of a suggestion for how you could take this better, I'm wondering what it'd look like with a dimmer overall picture but the eyes lit up with a flashlight. And no flash or a light source with some tissue or something to diffuse the light. 3.

Mysterious Ways
by Loki

Comment:
I'm sure the title reflects what you see when you look at this shot, but to me this image isn't mysterious at all.

It's a nice enough photo outside the challenge, although I wonder what enhancing the contrast might do. 4.

Nature's Magic Wand
by JPR

Comment:
I'm afraid I don't see what's magic here. And there's not much that catches my eye. I think it's just the subject, and the colors. 3.

With Each Step
by L2

Comment:
I initially gave this a 4. I'm bumping it to a 5, but that's primarily because I'm seeing more of a magic connection on a second viewing. I'm curious how you got the bright spots all the way down the stairs. 5.

Seclusion
by whiteroom

Comment:
Interesting building front, but I'm not seeing the connection to magic or mystery. And even the title isn't suggesting either one.

I'd suggest rotating it a bit; I suspect the window are actually vertical. 4.

She Casts a Spell
by rjkstesch

Comment:
This looks to me like a dramatic moment from a play, but the drama seems to be her emotion, not that she's casting a spell. Assuming your title reflects what was really going on, then my comment is that the photo doesn't capture that for me.

It's a nice photo otherwise - good composition and lighting, although I might've cropped a bit more off the bottom.

But lacking a connection in the image to the challenge (as opposed to the title), I can't give it higher than a 4. So, 4 it is.

A portrait from the Master and Margarita
by Hauxon

Comment:
I'm sorry, but I'm not getting either magic or mystery here. Maybe it would've worked better for me if she were becoming a cat (or a human!), or if her eyes glowed. But this strikes me as a pretty dead-on portrait of someone with face paint. Outside of this challenge, though, it's a nice enough shot. 4.

she worries I will steal her soul
by posthumous

Comment:
I get the mystery of wondering who she is. But the picture is so dark as to leave me wanting to see more. Dodging or otherwise lightening up her face would add a lot. 4.

The old Witchdoctor
by Structor

Comment:
To me, this is a weak connection. I like the photo to carry the story, and without looking at the title, I see an interesting shot but not much magic or mystery.

Aside from the challenge, though, the muted colors don't really catch my eye, and the lack of contrast between the witch doctor and his surroundings make himn harder to spot. 4.

The Magic Tree
by Elvis_L

Comment:
I'm sorry, but I'm not getting a feeling of the tree being magic. It's a nice image of an interestingly shaped tree; I just don't get the connection to the challenge topic. Aside from that, I might prefer it to be a bit brighter to bring out the details in the bark. 4.