A Study of Smoke
by Photomouse

Comment:
Whatever the plant-thing in the background is, (probably a plant?), it is horribly distracting and fights tooth and nail with the smoke for domination of this photo.

Out of the shadow
by tjmueller

Comment:
Either you couldn't find an older model, or this is some sort of social commentary, but it is still horribly off-putting. Especially considering the smoke seems like a tacked-on afterthought to me.

Abandoned Machinery
by samanwar

Comment:
Abandoned, or simply done for the work-day? A 5, but not my idea of abandonment. The machine in question shows no signs of disuse or typical wear and tear that a truly abandoned piece of machinery would show. It's obviously been recently used.

A Rose in the Desert : Sanghakan Slum
by hotpasta

Comment:
An aesthetically pleasing shot that says more "poverty" to me than abandoned. The very fact that there is a person here, not to mention that it seems pretty well maintained for all its apparent run-down, isn't strong on the challenge theme.

Spilled Milk
by njsabs

Comment:
I hope I don't owe you a new keyboard. ;D

Night Shift
by h2

Comment:
It was glorious and magnificent, mankind's achievements. We built and created and glorified. More and more. Bigger, taller, faster, brighter. Always we strived for more. Always we strived to out-do everything that came before.

We thought we would continue infinitely. Until they came.

We were wrong.

The Joker
by TomCubis

Comment:
He wasn't grinning this time. This time it was the last straw. This time The Batman had gone too far.

In a tragic twist of fate, The Batman had somehow discovered a cure for him. He'd healed his scars, mended his mind, cured his insanity, and he had done it all WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION!

He glared at the TV showing news reports of the success of Batman's work, and then slowly smeared lipstick on his face, attempting to regain a part of his old self once again. He tried hard. He thought of the worst possible thoughts he could. He attempted to conjure up images of death and murder and horrific things.

He couldn't.

Sighing, he put down the lipstick and washed all the makeup off his face. Then he clicked the remote, turned off the TV, and went to his new day job at the local KFC.

My Sassy Girl
by shalrath

Comment:
She'd never had a request like this before, but it thrilled her a little bit, and so she tried it. Placing the petals over her eyes as instructed, she puckered her lips for a kiss, and screamed in surprise as the puppy licked her face emphatically.

She jumped up with a laugh and punched her boyfriend on the arm. Laughing, he showed her the gorgeous little Husky pup, a pup she'd wanted for years. He was allergic, but his love for her was strong he said, and he only wanted her to be as happy as she could be.

Later that night, puppy safely in another room, the petals were put to another purpose.

For Those About To Rock...
by basssman7

Comment:
Carl hammered out the final notes in his set to the thunderous roar of the crowd. He'd put on a performance that was unlike any other. He'd hit every note. He'd slammed every whammy. He'd nailed every bridge.

With a final twang, the song was done and he raised his arms in victory. The crowd went wild, and he knew that a new contract was his.

He looked at the screen. 100%. YOU ROCK! you shouted at him silently.

He was a Guitar Hero God.

The new Dubai
by momentaryawe

Comment:
In the aftermath, they sat stunned. It had been a battle for the ages. It had drove through the city bringing death and destruction like none before it. Now, with skyrises flattened or gutted, with the fires finally only soot and ash, with wide swaths of the city leveled to dust and powder, they could only pick themselves up and try to begin anew.

Many thousand miles away, the battle that had torn the city asunder still raged. Mr. Fantastic and Captain Happy raged in combat. All their powers were brought to the fore. All their energy was released upon each other, and the areas and civilizations around them.

And all this over a pair of hot leather pants for sale at Bloomington's.