Cutaway to Abstraction
by pointandshoot

Comment:
This is just wonderful. A brilliant ragoût of certainty and uncertainty; the explicit and implicit; tone, texture and graphic grace. And I use the culinary allusion advisedly, because this image has all the balance and inspired fusion of a modern-classic dish. Undertones and overtones in absolute harmony. And it's also a perfect natural diptych, just for a bonus (and presumably to prompt some dismal soul to request validation ... Bah!).

I'd give it a 12 if that score were available. Alas, 10's my limit. Plus the Order of the Thumb:

Harmony
by Ken

Comment:
A lovely composition that exploits the extended exposure in a subtle and thoughtful way. The title is well chosen for the effect. 9.

Ethanol Refinery
by pncowley

Comment:
This is a very interesting photograph, probably because it has a strange Space Station feel to it. Isolated by the darkness, I guess. I've tried a few similar night-time shots myself, and never managed this kind of superb result. 8.

diplomatic life
by kolasi

Comment:
Excellent! Such a grand room with no convincing signs of long-term occupancy. As if the guy is just a transient user who'll soon be gone and only the picture and the desk will remain. Someone else will pinch the good chair as soon as he's gone. The ambiguous presence established by the exposure & movement seems quite apt. He's there, but don't blink. 9.

Comet Hale-Bopp from the Proxima Centauri Penal Colony
by Les_Feck

Comment:
It's perfectly believable as a glimpse of sci-fi servitude. The atmosphere seems extraterrestrial. I like photographs that transport me (as long as it's not a life sentence). 8.

leaving you behind
by skewsme

Comment:
It's a bold photograph. Sideways orientation makes it initially harder to recognize, but then as the viewer grows more comfortable it seems to become more reflective, which is just right for the sentiment in the title. Like transport to another place and time. I am a big fan of ambiguity and uncertainty, because it seems to oblige the viewer to make some effort. To meet you half way. The hints of scrappy flowers are both disguise and motivation in this photograph. So, all in all, I like it very much. 9.

running water
by ursula

Comment:
That's wonderful! The impression of the great pressure and distortion of the water over the rocks is terrific. It feels like this powerful image is just barely contained within the frame. It's not an abstract, and yet it is. It's literal, and yet it's also figurative. I just love that double identity. 8.

Remembrance of Summer
by banmorn

Comment:
Great beauty. The flowers are made dancers in some wistful moment from a ballet. 7.

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
by dougi555

Comment:
A difficult and demanding photograph. I suppose it's a zoom effect, and it's a very good one. I might be being unreasonably influenced by the terrific title, but this is surely at least a 7.

"Next Stop: Museum"
by jeger

Comment:
Nice. I don't think it's Museum Station in Sydney (although it's a long, long time since I've been there, so it could be). I'm a sucker for underground train shots. They not only look great, they have a sound, and even a feel ... a great rush of air. It always makes me think of a space station. Super shot. 7.