Costa Rican Beauty
by FocusPoint

Comment by Paul:
I am participating in the "Why a '5' not a '6'?" commenting activity (see recent forum thread). Viewers are asked to leave a comment with some of their votes of '5' letting the photographer know why, for them, it fell short of a vote of '6'. If you have found this comment useful, you may wish to offer some of your own to those images where you vote 5.

I think being all-Librodo'd-out has meant an image like that gets a tough gig in this Free Study. Couple that with the over-softened skin and I begin to struggle to give this a higher score. De-soften the mouth and the tip of the nose, add more contrast and cool the colour temperature and I think you'd have something with a great deal more drama. Clearly, this is competent portrait work but for me I think the edit is a bit too in-your-face.

Straws
by FocusPoint

Comment by jagar:
The PP is well done and the colors are spot on, its the subject matter to me that lacks interest.

Wingspan
by FocusPoint

Comment by edmeng:
This one is absolutely spectacular! one of my few 10s on the challenge

Costa Rican Beauty
by FocusPoint

Comment by KarenNfld:
Beautiful photo.

Wingspan
by FocusPoint

Comment by tanguera:
Stellar. Blurry AND detailed. Congrats on the top 10

Straws
by FocusPoint

Comment by tunnelvision:
Hard to discern the count of 13. I like the photo though. Good color.

Costa Rican Beauty
by FocusPoint

Comment by smardaz:
it looks like the smoothing effect was applied to the whole picture, which, for me, takes away from it. in the future i would mask only the skin and then smooth on a seperate layer

Tomato
by FocusPoint

Comment by tph1:
Yup. Right on the money. I am a fan of a white "print-like" border, but you might get a comment or two about that. A unique form that invites me to personify the tomato. Tones and contrast... heck... is this an actual Weston photo??

9

Straws
by FocusPoint

Comment by aj1621:
Creative! Almost get dizzy looking at it. A little more dof would have been good

Tomato
by FocusPoint

Comment by Dennisheckman:
Its a kidney!