Bonnie & Clyde
by tooter

Comment:
the fact that it also appears to have what looks like bullets holes makes this a very cinematic / icon rich shot. the selective desat works okay here, though i wonder how necessary it really is - to be honest i'm not too keen on the orange (rusty) shades. the brighter splodges of grass in the foreground are a bit of a distraction too, as is the blown out sky top left (kind of unbalances the overall feel). however, the challenge is met, the shapes and lighting on the cars metal are interesting, and overall is very nice. 8

Forsaken
by Coley

Comment:
this is brilliant, and has a degree of reality much higher than many of the other of a similar ilk in the challenge. and the fact that she has wings sprouting from her back doesn't lessen the reality of this shot. your model appears to be so wrapped up in thought that it's infectuous. there is so much to like about this. the simplicity of the environment, the dirtiness of the footpath, and the crappiness of the wall... the voyeuristic composition and feel. and it doesn't look remotely posed or false - i keep harping on about it, but it seems so real. fantastically understated too - the temptation to go bonkers with the editting must have been a sod to resist, but you have, and kudos to you for donig so. 10.

"You May Be Lonely in a Crowd"
by tfarrell23

Comment:
even with a fancy title, i don't think you could really justifiably equate a new york skyline (filled with 10 or so million people) to be even bordering on desolate. besides, everybody is so friendly there, you oculd never feel lonely here! still, i do see what you're getting across, and though spiritually it's not strictly meeting the challenge, it is a quite thought provoking image, and yes, this provacation is bolstered by your title. it's a lovely picture, of course. actually, it definitely warrants some ponderous thoughts; it's quite touching. the sheer enormity of the concept of an individual in a place so populus. 7.

The Empty Chicken Coop
by melismatica

Comment:
this is jolly nice. i like the originally creative point of view, and the dark colours of the shed compared to the blown areas of sky, which unusually complements the feel of the image. having the door open is a clever touch. i like the state of the window; it conveys the impression of age nicely. it's good! 7.

Alone
by banmorn

Comment:
as the challenge description states the terms "mean to you" i can't really justifiably argue that to me, a pretty flower in front of a lush green background, doesn't really convey a great sense of desolation. so i won't. it's a very professional looking wall hangable shot though. the colours are beautiful, the level of noise reduction a bit on the heavy side, but overall effective. the level of detail on the intermediate ring of leaves is gorgeous, and notwithstanding my noise reduction comment, i do find the mix of elements in and out of focus very appealing. it's lovely, and gets an 8.

Barren
by annah

Comment:
very nice. excellent landscape choice - lovely rocks! the colours are my favourite aspect, the muted shades / partial desatuation work well. personally i feel the head in hands posture of the girl is a little overused / cliched nowadays and takes away some of the creativeness of the picture. she could also just be playing hide and seek... that's my only negative criticism though - the rest of it (composition, light, depth of field, obvious effort, meeting challenge, overall sparkle) is well up there. 8.

Abandoned
by Judi

Comment:
wowser. when i saw the thumbnail, i thought "here we go, another GORGEOUS ir image, but there's no way something of such beauty could convey any sense of desolation". got that wrong. this is incredible. the sense of scale, the colours... i love how some of the trees look slightly out of focus - was that intentional? i love where the car is (what is it, a cortina or granada). must buy myself an IR lens - this is so inspiring!

Austin, TX: Est. homeless population 12,000-20,000
by srdanz

Comment:
for some reason, i normally have an automatic knee-jerk reactionary aversion to obviously, overtly political, morally just, message laden photos. which is odd, given the way i am politically. anyway, this, on the other hand, is unique in a number of ways. principally, you haven't just relied on your subject conveying the emotion or message (or getting the votes). your skills as a photographer/artist are evident here, as both pre and post processing is superb. composition is faultless. the post shot treatment works incredibly well, and adds sufficient interest that invites extended viewing. i love the background, the levels of noise, the playing with the dodge / burn tools. this is a great example of PS filters being used to great effect. and your subject himself is subtle to be really effective - the sign, his manner and posture; there is a warmth and a sense of reality here that you don't get from shots of the more unfortunate sections of any population. you feel sympathetic, but hopeful too... it's an excellent capture. last comment; your title. very specific, factual and not remotely condescending or patronising (which is sometimes the case with photos of similar subject matter). all in all a very likeable, moving, stirring image. 10.

Winter Shadow
by philup

Comment:
i thought this was startlingly starkly beautiful, and seriously meant my congrats on the blue comment, because i naturally thought it was a given. the surreal / ethereal effect of the white ground, the sharp details of the trees and the gloriously lush blue sky to me meant that it had everything going for it and a ribbon was in the bag. i guess you lost out a little bit because the shadows aren't too significant an aspect of the overall composition. still, congrats on the still very honourable honourable mention.

The Brick Layer
by owen

Comment:
this is weird and totally skewers my pre-conceived idea of what a shadow could, nay, should be. and it totally works, in some weird mad bonkers inverted way - it's amusing also because it looks like the wall was spray painted and the man was caught in the way... yes, this is very creative. i voted this with a 9.