Ichthyosis Research Candidate
by JeB

Comment:
Love the texture of the skin, but I do wish we could see the elephant's eye a little better...

Protected?
by aznym

Comment:
I love the optical illusion created by the metal frame - an elephant in a box. It's quite wonderful.

Restrooms? First Hut on the Left....
by jenesis

Comment:
It's a great expression. Unfortunately the subject is dark and the lighting fails to illuminate most of his face and body. Nor, I think is the photo well served by the large amount of negative space on the right.

Beware the Dragon
by idnic

Comment:
What a handsome fellow. Great lighting, crisp focus.

Please...
by TooCool

Comment:
In dealing with DPChallenge I have come to expect good photos to be a little oversharpened. So when I see this excellent photo I wonder whether its more natural look is due to accident or choice. I expect that if it were just a little sharper it would score better here - whether or not it would actually make it better. Sharpness aside, I really like the gaze of this primate. I love the way the steel fence works with the dark skin, hair and eyes. And I am grateful for the fact that the green of the background is not very saturated - whether by accident or on purpose. I find the cropping just a little week. I think there is far too much space above the eyes. And I think the vertical element on the right and the horizontal one on the bottom could be cropped out to some advantage. Despite all the postprocessing tweeks that could have been done to improve the photo, this is very strong shot.

Grungy Terrarium
by Joey Lawrence

Comment:
I like the grunge aspect of this photo. It is a refreshing change from the feel of the rest of the photos in the competition. Good Luck.

What's That?
by flip89

Comment:
The humor in this photo is great. I sort of wish the feet were not cut off. And the saturation seems just slightly strong. Finally, I wish the head of the observant fellow in the green were placed a little more in the gap between the tall fellow and the girl in pink. But I realize these are not things over which one has control.

Retired Animal Star
by 2Shay

Comment:
Very cute. Unfortunately between the subject's dark furry coat and the lighting we can see very little of her. And while we understand that a retired star's job is to stay out of the limelight, it is the paparazzis job to shed light on more than just her lime-lit glasses.

Mrs. Roberts
by groggyfroggy

Comment:
It's a very difficult subject because of the white in well lit areas and the black in the shadows. It looks like there are some blown highlights in the area below the eye and this detracts from the photo. My own inclination is usually to crop this tightly, but I have seen a number of examples at this site in which a bird given more room somehow looks more natural, and I have the sense that this photo is a little crowded.

Can You Join Me For Dinner?
by p3wiz

Comment:
"Scratch me behind the ears.. I need a nap." Perfect in every respect.