Confetti
by Tuckersmom

Comment:
Great result on this experiment. I would be happy if I had created it. Very pleasing to the eye and calming to the spirit. Congratulations.

h a t e - unchecked
by SherwinJames

Comment:
... just ... WOW! ... stunning in how such an apparently peaceful, self-absorbed, reflective moment can so depict what hate can do. I am totally slain by this photo and it took me a long time to respond to it but had to tell you how hard you touched (POKED) my heart.

Congratulations on the massive statement that your image makes. Not only the composition and general lighting but how wonderfully it was technically in general. Truly an amazing image extremely well presented (I avoided using the word executed here for the first time ever).

P.S. I often disagree with the general voters here but 58 10s, 51 9s, 45 8s and 43 7s out of 131 voters, on this image, makes me proud to be in this company.

Message edited by author 2007-03-02 14:34:45.

Beauty
by mia67

Comment:
I would be proud if I made this image. I think it is a beautiful example of a portrait taken in landscape orientation. Beautifully executed and such a sweet model. This is ANOTHER one for the wall some day, surely.

Buster Brown
by missinseattle

Comment:
I LOVE the tones and bokeh on this shot a LOT and I am a CAT ... NOT a dog person ... but the soft focus on your subject killed this image IMO.

Some PP sharpening and spot healing on hot pixels/dust/whatever could half rescue this shot to be good ... but only half, IMO.

I don't know if you have PhotoShop CS2 or what editing software you may have ... but everything on this image (except the focus and hot pixels or dust or whatever) so appeals to me that I would be willing to play with it in CS2 to send you back an example of the best this shot can be, IMO, if you want to send me the original at Greetmir@yahoo.com ...

I hope I am not being presumptive, but if you do not have these tools, I thought you might like a sharper image of your dog that is otherwise a gorgeous portrait of him.

Message edited by author 2007-03-02 10:27:34.

lonely 2
by sevilduvarci

Comment:
Revisiting ... I just wish you would half the black outside border. This is SUCH an incredible image otherwise, IMO.

Alone
by Axleuk

Comment:
Alone II is way beyond this IMO and the B/W of Alone II (They just won't stop fighting) even BETTER as far as composition is concerned. That shot only needs a bit of curves to be a wall hanger.

Message edited by author 2007-03-02 10:08:03.

If Looks Could Kill
by scalvert

Comment:
Yeah well ... so shoot me ... because I love MOST of what you have EVER produced ... but this one left me HUGELY flat. While the technicals are awesome as usual ... the cardboard cutout looks just like what it is and WAY out of perspective. WAY WAY out.

A more tightly bent "elbow" that brought the hand (and knife) in the shadow closer to the shoulder or head for an apparent downward thrust would have made this image deserve the third place it garnered.

I also think that the electrical outlet parked in the anal canal of the shadow of the child is not up to your usual standards any more than the shadow of the cutout can have satisfied you. I cannot believe you saw this and did not reshoot.

IMO ... only mine ... Lighting super. PP super ... cutout ghastly bad in perspective, wall plug ... gimme a break ... unless you were trying to make a statement with this electrical outlet, could you not have moved her down the wall a tad or even covered it with a post-it note? Your son in the outake doesn't have this outlet there.

(OK ... I just read your entire photographer's comments and see you said it was unavoidable ... but I think this should have taken this image out of the running for a ribbon ... but obviously that is not the majority opinion)

Only you will know if you are happy with this shot but I would guess that if you did it again you would cock the elbow tighter to the shoulder or head to help with perspective AND (a little bit) with the sharpness problem.

Sorry, Shannon ... this is the only one of your ribbons that I do not think you deserved to get and I hope you agree with me that it did not.

Having said all that ... cropping the waist up image out of that photo would make a super shot IMO! ... fantastic lighting and expression.

Oh dayam ... having read that again ... I just KNOW I am gonna be tarred and feathered as a rude, inconsiderate, jealous, and rotten Scalvert basher ... but that is really my opinion on this ONE image. Forgive me. I really do love your work.

Message edited by author 2007-03-02 09:49:34.

The Guitar
by Axleuk

Comment:
WAY underscored IMO ... I really like the super shallow DOF and lighting here.

Dark Waters
by jenesis

Comment:
Great image!

Morning Dew
by jenesis

Comment:
Fantastic B/W rose image!