Thistle
by slgardner

Comment:
This is the third thistle shot I have come across (so far) and they are all excellent.
Good subject, well captured.

Thistle
by PaulMdx

Comment:
A different approach from the last thistle shot I viewed.. but equally effective..good lighting and nice, uncluttered background.
I had considered going for this myself and now I`m glad I didn`t as I would`nt have bettered the ones I`ve seen.

OUCH!...
by bormic

Comment:
I never submitted to this challenge but this was something that I considered going for...you`ve done an excellent job.. it suits the macro approach..good lighting also.

My Purple House
by tyt2000

Comment:
I like images that hit you in the face and this certainly does..there are some markings on the window frame that suggest post processing to darken the interior ?? 5 minutes cloning to clean them off would probably have been to your advantage...not a problem for me though..strong image..perfect for the challenge...9

Pansy
by nathaliedoo

Comment:
There have been many shots of this type submitted to various challenges in the past (mine included).. so they really have to have something special to offer and I think this does..the splash of yellow, which always contrasts well with purple, gives the image the lift it needs and adds to the overall abstract quality.
Nice work

The edge of the world
by attache

Comment:
Personally, I find this an interesting image with good composition and the blend of blue and purple giving it vibrancy.
However, it`s not the type of work that gets a good reception on DPC normally..let`s hope this is an exception...8

The Journalist
by Imagineer

Comment:
Love this image Jon..your lighting threw me a bit as, judging from the shadows on the face (especially round the eye)it appeared to be coming from a lower level than the subject.Maybe just down to the angle of the head..you can tell I`m a real novice at this :)

Great stuff.
Gordon

Her eyes
by Miinerva

Comment:
Really hoped this would finish much higher as it certainly deserved to.
Great work.

The Soul of a Woman
by librodo

Comment:
Biggest surprise of the challenge to me when I didn`t see this amongst the ribbons.
Superb as usual.

Gordon

Someday.....
by geewhy

Comment:
Thanks to all for the comments..I have learned a lot from this challenge ..mostly that my daughter is worth a few points of a start for me as a model..so I`ll have to keep her sweet :-)

Paul..your right..there`s not a lot this camera (and a bit of luck) can`t do..I`ve been considering upgrading and then think..why ?

Manny...a 9 from the MASTER of portraiture..I am genuinely chuffed to think I`ve improved that much from my last attempt.
I had your submission marked as a definite ribbon winner.
Incidentally, I haven`t submitted to the "Purple" challenge..but you`ve got me intrigued..I`ll have to look through them.

Tony,thanks for the comments, I did wonder which way to go but decided to plump for softening the image..My daughter is actually sitting at the dining table near the lounge window..the background was cream wallpaper which I had to darken.leaving the halo around some parts of the image..quite a studio set-up..eh
My wife refuses to pose either after the last portrait disaster.

Regards
Gordon