a lens this big
by idp

Comment:
Very funny application of the image to the challenge - and the slightly bored look on its face is priceless. Nicely lit, with no really distracting background. The one downside I can see - I'm no expert by any means - but it appears the edges of the animal exhibit a "haloing" effect, which I believe is caused by too much sharpening.

An offering...
by Kali

Comment:
I think this is really nice - the focus is just right. I wonder though if the overall composition might have been better in a portrait, rather than a landscape, orientation - just curiosity on my part - I think it looks fine as is.

Flash
by C_Steve_G

Comment:
I really like the composition - the framing, the proximity of the subject - but this image could be much improved by removing the noise. Also, might be better if his whole face were in focus, focus here seems to fall off on the left side.

Chloe
by marbo

Comment:
Very nicely focused - the falling away of focus under her chin just makes her face pop out at you. No distracting background. Very nice.

Scent of a woman
by pepitoid

Comment:
Not a bad image, by any means. I like the composition, but there are a few things that, for me, keep the image from being effective: the stray hair across her cheek is distracting, the line of light down her nose might be better off minimized, and the flower casts a shadow over the space between her nose and her upper lip.

Fly Away
by Joey Lawrence

Comment:
Striking image, nicely focused. Hopefully no butterflies were harmed in the making of this photo. :)

Infinitesimal Planetesimals
by freakin_hilarious

Comment:
With the simplicity of the subject and relative uniformity of color, this could have been a very boring shot, but I think the variety of circle sizes and asymmetry of the composition makes it effective. Although I like it as it is, I wonder if it could be improved by having more "happening" on the far right side of the frame - maybe it could have benefited from a slight crop on the right side?

Vein.
by nerdynotdirty

Comment:
Very nice lighting and subject-framing.

Rien ne va plus
by gloda

Comment:
Effective sense of movement in the image. Also the 4 people on the left appear focused on the out-thrust arm of the other man, which effectively fixes the viewer's eyes on the main subject/main source of movement. The graininess doesn't detract/distract but adds to the drama of the moment.

Paradise Lost
by timfythetoo

Comment:
The textures are palpable in this image, with good background blur and lighting. A very striking photo.