butterfly
by shutterfly

Comment:
Zeus' Top Pic(k)s: 2. Place

Fernando
by timmi

Comment:
Zeus' Top Pic(k)s: 1. Place

Once upon a time, there were Quality Clothes
by Grzi

Comment:
Sheer delight, exquisite.

I love the motion blur in the spinning wheel.

The wonderful workflow circle (spinner via attention > hands > yarn etc. all the way over the big wheel and back) within the image effectively returns the attention from the detail and artifacts, the photographer has chosen to include, to a central subject.

The varying light in this scene appears to have been tamed with difficulty, but without creating any critical distraction(s). A very fine balance, IMO, has been struck between the technical (and compositional) demands and the lyric essence of the given (found?) subject(s).

As if Vermeer had taken up photography. ;-)

I'm Ready for my Closeup...
by BobsterLobster

Comment:
If I strained to find one thing to improve on with this incredibly crisp and gorgeous image, I'd (humbly) ask to consider the minimal hairline black applied to all borderless images here by default. I do not believe, anything at all could make this exceptional image more than it is.

fuzzy face
by chalcone

Comment:
A gorgeous rendering, technically proficient, a feast of an image! The folded wings vs. the rotundity of the petal, the repetition of warm tones between subject and habitat (the blurred -blotch-, the washed yellows) make for an unusual and striking aesthetic and natural composition.

The lack of a decorative border, especially, is a very fine distinction.

Smily Eyes
by Jacko

Comment:
If eyes are -windows of the soul-, I wouldn't want to be this one's analyst... ;-)

What an amazing and extreme macro! The proximity to the subject is so microscopic, the DOF is beginning to feel almost too shallow. Given the sheer size of the magnified and central point of focus, I feel, a somewhat more generous crop at the top of the image (if possible) could provide both a balance for the wide diagonal (white mesh) at the bottom and a more standard vertical format, without sacrificing the present impact.

On a marginal note, the border appears -a little- too decorative, perhaps, for such a bold capture.
Nevertheless, one of the very best shots here, IMO, with an expanse of detail and plenty of -wow-!

an earlier conversation
by grigrigirl

Comment:
This, catagorically, multi-faceted photo is so credibly set-up, it could pass as a candid. The (for a portrait or self-portrait) somewhat unflattering lighting falling diagonally through the shot lends considerable drama and realism to what could have made for a sweeter and (artistically) weaker image without this. The soft focus compensates aptly in this respect.

Most striking, to me, is the strong integrity of this shot, supported by a convincing arrangement and an apparent authenticity of choices. The facial expression and 'cast' of the subject alone communicate the full gamut of human emotion, far beyond the defined topic.

The image is 'transporting' to the extreme, and, IMO, a model fit for study. > 9

butterfly
by shutterfly

Comment:
This image, aptly, lacks the extreme sharpness evident in some competing entries. Instead, the apparent emphasis is on the natural light pervading all. The butterfly's white wings, especially via the shadow of one visible through the translucent other, add an unusual and incidental interest. The slight overexposure that has been allowed onto the inner side of the right wing marks the only pure-white area in the photo, precisely at point of focus.

Apart from providing a clear anchor for the eye, these effects also stimulate a latent s e r a p h i c interpretation or sense.

The inclusion of a series of blossoming plant stems extending left to right into the picture provides both an environment and compositional soundness. The background, while richly luminous, adds much to the particular aesthetic of the subject without being distracting.

A great photograph!

Fernando
by timmi

Comment:
Being no expert of insects, this macro proides wonderful crisp detail while also revealing his habitat or stomping grounds. Apart from the educational value it will hold for most of us, it is aptly exposed, with colour and hues appearing true to nature. The image is free of any distracting or redundant elements. Composition... examplary. The near-white background found or created here provides a welcome and fresh counterbalance to the Cimmerian tones and shapes which distinguish this creature viewed at such proximity. The absence of a decorative border, particularly, stresses the integrity of this impeccable shot.

Fugato
by zeuszen

Comment:
For those, who wanted to know what it was: a branch of an old ebony tree carefully painted with leaf-gold placed on a slab of BC jade submerged in an alpine creek just above the tree line. The water was then agitated by a wood nymph.