Temptation
by shabbychic

Comment:
Very distressful to your nerves, these challenges are! I believe the update button was worn by the end.

Thank you to everyone for all your comments! They were, indeed, very helpful. I did agree myself at the very beginning that the apple was too dark, but given that it was a last minute picture, the solid fact that I am terrible at lighting, and that dodging was not allowed in the basic editting rules... I decided to live with it. Plus, it did not help that I took the picture less than 24 hours before all the snakes were to be fed and was, thus, dealing with a very wiggly subject! But none the less, to those who promotted me for bravery- there was none involved! Like any animal, it's the way they've been handled that reflects their additude, and these have all been handled very well from birth and are as gentle as puppies.

Again, thank you for your comments and suggestions, I went back to re-edit with all in mind and I, as well as friends and family, thought it looked much better. I thought this first challenge went very well and I hope to learn equally as much in more to come!

Smell the flowers
by heida

Comment:
Thanks so much for posting your process in this picture, it's really helped to capture the colors in some of my own photos. I love the dodging done in this photo to highlight the grass and girl, it really gives an excellent emotion!

My city by the sea
by heida

Comment:
I really love how this picture brings out the moodiness that the sea often screams at us. It reminds me of the many sea voyage horror stories I've read or heard of. I also love the mixture of colors in the sky and am quite envious that you always seem to be able to catch such magnificent pictures with eye bogling skies!

Weathered
by nico_blue

Comment:
That's a crying shame the place you got. This was my favorite photograph in the contest and I strongly believe it should have won! I completely disagree with a previous comment that the bottom should have been cropped. It would have taken away from the distance between viewer and subject, an aspect that was a favorite of mine. I absolutely love the blue light that radiates from the center, not to mention I'm a sucker for scrappy looking places! ;-) Congrats on your top 20, though.. even if you should have gotten better!

In the country
by heida

Comment:
I have to agree with NFESSEL that cropping the top might have made a better outcome, but I also must disagree in that the dodging and burning was done in just the right increments as to produce a deep and aweful feeling as well as the signature appearance that has come to be recognized as HEIDA's. I really enjoy this picture on so many levels!