Hawaii Lava Flow
by kcm

Comment:
Stunning image. Congrats on the Red.

The Heart of Winter
by JakeKurdsjuk

Comment:
Flawless, Jake. Congrats on the frontpage finish. Given the tiny "heart" snowflake, perhaps this would make a good Valentine's card for those who live in the snow belt.

A Charlie Brown Christmas
by chalice

Comment:
Thanks for all the kind comments. Most of the effort that went into this photo was to make the geometry of the shapes interesting and balanced and to get the light and shadows working together with this odd little tree.

I bought this tree for Christmas because it reminded me of the little wreck of a tree that Charlie Brown had in his Christmas TV special so long ago. As odd as it is, I liked it better than the traditional tree that was also set up in my home (go figure). So I get the "odd duck" comment about this photo. To me, the photo is all about the shapes, lighting, and the oddity of the tree.

leaves in the tree
by 2mccs

Comment:
An interesting technique and result. Thanks for sharing the process you used.

This deserved a much better score than the voters gave overall. It was under appreciated IMHO.

Message edited by author 2017-01-02 03:19:31.

Shelter Belt , SH1,Foxton
by kiwinick

Comment:
I wanted to like this image more. The line of trees is very eye-catching and the color of the sky is also appealing. What troubled me was what I perceive to be a lack of sharp focus on the tops of all those great trees. There is also some white spots in the background. I'm not sure whether they are haloing or something else. Unfortunately, IMHO they detract from the photograph as does the soft focus at the tree tops. Still, the composition is appealing to me. 6

Beneath the pine
by markwiley

Comment:
Nicely executed sunburst in this image. I'm not sure the stuff in the foreground is interesting enough to be the focal point of the image. Just my two cents. 6

Upcountry Amador
by Cuttooth

Comment:
A nice sharp image with good color and interesting curves in the trunks and reflections. I would consider cropping off most of the sky, which would draw attention to the trees and reflections and move the horizon away from the center line of the image. I would not crop off the bottom, though, because the water is framing the reflections. 6

Winter Ballroom
by Bearded_dop

Comment:
You've captured a fine quiet mood in this image. Snow-dusted trees and grounds, with a couple enjoying the moment. I suspect there were no sounds being made when you were on site. The photo has a nice balance to it and a warm glow from the lights. The foreground, though, doesn't add much to the image. I would consider cropping off the bottom half of the water, just below what look like ice crystals. The bottom inch is not in focus in any event. Overall, I like your results. 6

leaves in the tree
by 2mccs

Comment:
Very creative. I almost missed the point when first viewing the image as I was focused on the shape of the branches. Then the light bulb went off and the leaves became obvious. I guess that you are shooting into the light (or perhaps it is just processing). I would like to see this with less haze. 6

The Guardian
by Melethia

Comment:
This is an interesting image, bordering on minimalism. I wish the fence and the metal fixture on the building were not present as they (to my way of thinking) do not help with the strong lines of this image. Still, I like the image as is (and realize, of course, that you can't do anything about the fence or metal fixture). I like the clouds, the straight lines and repeating patterns of the building's lines, windows, and bolt heads. 6