babe in the woods
by whiteroom

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Now this perfectly captures the carefree feeling and playfulness of childhood. The slight sepia to the B&W projects the feel of this being a memory or capture of a time long past. The sun shines bright and the skipping child with bouncing curls just radiates merriment and joy. Some may see the 'forest' of trees as dark and foreboding. But I see it simply as a path to journey and the sunbeams and her happy nature (seen by her skipping) will carry her safely through. Very nicely done (8).

Little Bo Peep Has Lost Her sheep ...
by sjhuls

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Very clever presentation of the nursery rhyme! It is like she is on stage and lifting the curtain to show us where the sheep are hiding. Photo composition is well done and processing is spot on. The mood is bright, cheerful, and playful. I can easily see this being in the top ten. You get high marks for great effort and presentation:-)

Jack and the Beanstalk
by Samantha_T

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment now.

Wow! Fantastic work here. This photo-manip takes on the aspect of a colorful children's book illustration! Love all the vibrant and bold colors of this composition. I love the POV you chose to present the Jack and the Beanstalk. We don't have to get a sense of height by physically having to look up directly - you present the height from an angle that extends from the lower left and extends up on the diagonal to pierce the sky in the top right corner. You also give us a sense of scale with Jack scaling the beanstalk with his lantern in hand. Fabulous work here....will easily make the top ten.

Like a Diamond in the Sky
by pamb

Comment:
Voted earlier, coming back to comment.

The composition is minimalistic and elegant in presentation. Love the hues of warm orange that fades to the cool blues of the night sky. A child looks up at the night sky and spots the brightest star. This captures the Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star rhyme perfectly. Very well done - one of a few handful of my top rated.

Life is Good
by antje1777

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Nice candid street photo. I like how you captured his beaming smile. However, I do wish that you captured more of what was ocurring on the left side of the frame to tell the story of what he is smiling at. What or who does he see that makes him smile/laugh? I can't tell because we only have one half of the story. I do see that there are smiling people in the backdrop and that helps support the story that you are projecting with your title. But I think the photo would be far more stronger if you could show us who the gent is interacting with rather than the people behind him that he is not.

A Smile Over Trouble Water
by galatia_n

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

I love that quick peek over the shoulder glance. She flashes us a great, big smile. The shot has potential to really be stellar if the background did not dominate so much of the scene. Bring us closer to your subject by zooming in or cropping closer so that she can take center stage and really show off her smile.

I love camping
by P-A-U-L

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

What a great laughing happy smile. There is pure joy in her expression - nothing staged. Now I do have two small critiques that I believe would turn a good shot into a great shot. Bring us closer to the main subject by cropping/zooming in more on the little girl. There is just a bit too much background to let her joyous expression fill the frame and become the dominent focal point. My final critique is on how the title can compliment the photo (oh, man, she is getting nitpicky now). I don't get the sense that this little girl is camping. I did not deduct points but I simply want to point out that "show, don't tell" is a good rule of thumb. The background with what looks like sheep and the rolling hills that are separated into plots invokes more of the idea of a visit to a farm.

Charlie, #1
by karmat

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

The biggest thing that draws me into this portrait is the happy sparkle in the eyes. I wish the guards on the helmet did not block so much of smile of his lips. Nonetheless, I still get the visual of a big ol'smile from his cheeks.

Little Ray of Sunshine
by Kelli

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

What a little cutie! You captured a nice smile and lovely twinkle in her eyes. Processing has a nice dynamic tonal range that is well balanced. Nicely done.

A smile behind the camera
by sfmorris

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

I love the idea of putting the photographer out front as the main subject for the portrait shot:-) The outdoor natural lighting is very good on the main subject. I wonder if that wide happy smile means she has just captured a winning photo herself:-) I do have a small critique in that I wish there was a tighter crop on the main subject to further minimize the greenery of the backdrop (of course that means a smaller lens on her camera in order to fit in the frame).