Pollute
by DianeS

Comment:
I don't get the placement of this shot in the challenge; I gave it a nine. I thought the composition was good, with nice lines and lots of interest. The selective desat was for the right subject, and it was nicely done. I wish I could explain why it placed where it did, but I can't.

so what?
by aznym

Comment:
I gave this a ten; it had something that I generally didn't like (the use of the color to force the viewer to look at a part of the image they might otherwise miss), but the real impact of that use was to force us to juxtapose that with the woman in a way we otherwise would not have. I love the starkness of the B&W, and the composition is spot on. I even liked the darker red in the reflection. Perfect, in my book, though probably way too out of the box for DPC.

Daydreamer
by AP

Comment:
I don't get the placement here, and I don't get the negative comments. Maybe because I know this kind of dog and its propensity to roll around google-eyed in the grass. Nothing about it disturbs me. It's a great use of selective desat, wonderfully composed, good B&W to support the desat, with impact and effect. It's probably just a little too out of the box for DPC voters. Fav'd.

An Old Friend
by JamesKW

Comment:
The placement on this I don't get at all; I gave you a ten, and thought it was spot on (it's possibly my favorite shot of the challenge, though maybe tied with the brown dog pic). Good composition, nice conversion for the subject matter. The warm feelings it evokes, the perfect use (IMHO) of selective desat to tell a story (rather than lead the viewer to something that is otherwise a non-subject in the shot, as many of the entries had). Can't explain why it didn't attract more attention. Next time put a naked girl in the chair, I guess, and it'll do better.

The Blue Dragon
by jeannybeany

Comment:
I don't get why this didn't place higher; I gave it a ten, and obviously really liked it. I thought it was (as one commenter said) the perfect use of selective desat, adding to the image through a splash of color rather than defining the image. Nice lines where the arms come together, and in the tattoo. Nice.

Holding on to Hope
by brownsm

Comment:
I gave this a ten during the challenge; that it didn't do better sort of astounds me (but I'm regularly out of sync with DPC voters, as my own scores show). It tells an incredibly powerful story, and I found the composition, the tones in the conversion, and the technicals to support that story (which does overshadow the image somewhat, but in a good way). Sorry it didn't do better.

Road to...
by karinn

Comment:
I gave this a ten during the challenge; I obviously loved it. I don't have a problem with the yellow at all, and think the wonderful B&W conversion with the minimal (though not necessarily subtle) selective desat is really effective. Thought it would have placed higher (but I only picked two of the ten best as my tens, so I'm not the typical DPC voter, I guess).

Dreamy Goat
by Alicia

Comment:
Interesting effects here, but it makes me feel like I'm on drugs, not that the goat is. Not that I would know anything about what it feels like to be on drugs, of course :) I like the effects you've chosen and the layered feel, with the fence/bubbles overlaid, and the ice/shards behind. Nice positioning of the head, as well, but it's watching me wherever I move :)

Baby Goat
by Alicia

Comment:
Wonderful shot, and a delightful conversion. Composition is spot on, though I agree the graduated white border is a bit distracting -- I've used them before, but I think I've finally stopped :) The only thing that catches my attention is the overblown right ear (left as you look at it, of course); a tiny bit of dodging (burning? I always get them mixed up) just on the edge, to separate it from the body and give it an outline feel, might help -- but maybe not, too :)

Day 25(2) - Little Geisha.jpg
by Monicagd

Comment:
This is a lovely image, and the expression and pose you have captured are quite good. There is quite a bit of noise in the background, probably due to your camera adjusting the ISO to get a sharp enough shot. Some noise removal might help that, but I here I think it is not too distracting. The shot also has an overall soft appearance, but again, for this subject matter -- a Japanese dancer in a theater -- I think it's particularly appropriate and effective (though a tiny bit of sharpening might leave the generally soft feel while tightening the image up a bit).

When I first looked I thought the whites were a little bright, but remembering that the dancer's face would be painted white, I think it's perfect; her face is bright, some highlights on the fan she's holding are a bit blown, and the overall effect (in combination with the soft focus throughout) is quite nostalgic and gentle. Another one I like!