The Beacon
by alanfreed

Comment:
Great colors here... there's a bit of a halo where the trees and sky meet, but beyond that, the deep blue sky balances nicely against the light sand. Moving the composition down just a bit in the frame would have given the shot even better symmetry. Contrast and exposure are spot on.

The Hornet
by rhipster

Comment:
Fantastic detail, solid macro, good lighting. The colors could possibly use just a touch more saturation. I really like the reflection off the compound eyes.

An eye on the cider press.
by jjbeguin

Comment:
Good application of shadow, negative space, and off-screen expectation. Effective use of available light to create the effect of stark single-source illumination.

Aloft
by Brad

Comment:
Wonderful shot. Contrast and exposure are perfect. The clouds are impressive, and the clarity of the lines, and the shadows against the sail manage to create a true sense of the complexity aloft on a vessel. At once, the sepia tone gives an older feel, while the clarity of the shot gives a distinctly modern, mathematical, geometric feel.

Soft evening light on Loch Arklet
by geewhy

Comment:
Good capture of the evening light, though the colors seem very muted. The haze across the loch is impressive, though, and lends a dreamlike mystery to the shot.

Kookaburra
by moodville

Comment:
Cute little guy! Colors are great, seems autumnal (even though it's spring down there, isn't it?!) ... a slightly deeper DOF to include his tail would have made this perfect.

Split Bout....the inner struggle
by graphicfunk

Comment:
Neat shot, good play on words. The lighting and contrast are well managed, and it certainly has "how did you do it?" written all over it.

The Splash of a Kiwi
by terje

Comment:
Wow. The lighting here is great (from the top, judging from the reflection toward the right), and the detail on the kiwi fuzz is spot-on. The shape of the water seems so unnatural, but the dynamic motion of the shot, coupled with the internal reflections of the kiwi's innards throughout the water adds a "splash" of color that balances everything perfectly. The blue area toward the lower left seems a bit incongruous.

First Light
by autool

Comment:
Smooth shot, exposed enough to get texture in the sand, with the footsteps. The overexposure on the left, though, really overpowers the image. Although this might be intentional (when considering the title), it seems to be a bit much.

Summer Days
by dan_pendleton

Comment:
Soft focus gives this a sort of dreamlike feel, and the use of shadow on the right side of the shot helps to complete a frame with the treeline in the background and the branches to the left. The composition seems crowded, and slightly imbalanced with the bench where it is. Also, without a bottom edge to your natural framing, it seems somewhat topheavy. Croppign it tighter on the bottom might alleviate that, but you run the risk of getting to close to the girl's shadow.