Ghosts of the city
by marvin

Comment:
I can see what you tried to accomplish in this photo. There are 'numerous' mysterious ghostly figures milling about. The problem is the composition and angle. None of the figures are terribly prominent in the photo. The figures in the distance maybe make-up 4 % of the photo. While those in the foreground are almost not visible because they blend into the dark background and the busy lights of the city. Making those ghostly figures in the foreground more prominent would be the key to moving this out of the average range and into the 7 and up range. Perhaps shooting the photo at a lower angle would have helped. Placing the camera low to the ground and shooting angled up so that the figures appear more on the backdrop of the blue sky would have made them as visible as those ghostly figures you see in the background faintly silhouetted on the ocean. Also too much of the bright lights would only serve to distract attention away from one of the key elements that being the ghostly figures. Just keeping a narrow slice of the city lights and city line would help keep the atttention tihtly focused on the main elements and make a stronger connection to the title of the piece.

Paper Patterns
by timfythetoo

Comment:
Love the shapes of the paper curls. They swirl and curl and not only captures the eye's attention with shape, but coupled with that beatiful blue hue the mind becomes enchanted. This image is very visually appealing. Upon viewing the photo the viewer is easily entranced and can enter a daydream state very simular to laying on a grassy hillside and gazing up at the white clouds that drift by.

Blowin' Smoke
by cislander

Comment:
I love the attention to details in the composition - all the titles in the sheet music match the mood and title of these piece.

Barn@Davis Road (Small).jpg
by RayEthier

Comment:
I love the colors in this photo. And what makes it especially beautiful to gaze upon is the snow draped tree branches that make a natural frame around the wooden barn centered in the composition. Very lovely. I just found a hidden jem to add to my favorites.

sailing_test1
by Agaricus

Comment:
Love the colors on this peaceful and serene waterscape. The sailboat catchs our attention and holds it as we sail away unto a pastel blue and pink sky.

Beside Derwent
by talj

Comment:
I love the composition of this shot. I like the colors of boat and how the angle/perspective makes it appear that it is approaching the viewer by 'sailing' out of the shot. The mood of the photo is one of a peaceful solitude. I agree with others that this is a great shot, it has all the right elements that make it appealing but if you do a little PS with upping the saturation, a bit of curves and some contrast adjustments it will move from the great category into the outstanding cateory.

What makes you think you’re something special when you smile? - Hey Bulldog
by notesinstones

Comment:
Simple B&W presentation really makes the focal point of your photo pop off the page. The white tones of the doggie really pop off of the dark hues in his surrounding environment. And that expression!!! That wonderfully smug happy 'smile' on the dog's face is just great! As I look at it I do indeed hear the lines "What makes you think you're something special when you smile?" Hey Bulldog, I give you an 8.

The fool on the hill
by birkin

Comment:
Love the deep rich tones of the oranges and yellows in the sky. These warm tones are very appealing. Attention to detail is good. The subject is wearing a fool's hat and his arms are thrown wide in joyful abandon. The subject and the ground plane are in deep silhouette which is good because it really pops off the warm tones of the sky - not to mention that if any other colors showed it would clash for the eye's attention and 'clutter' the scene. My only critique is that I wish 'the fool' was holding a can and not an umbrella for it just doesn't seem to fit all to well with the time period represented with the fool's hat. Then again, this is representing the Beatles whose songs were sometimes whimsical, silly or avant garde. 10

"I read the news today, oh boy!" from "A Day in the LIfe" - Sergeant Pepper
by Riponlady

Comment:
This photo is a good shot, but there are a few things you could do to move it out from the good category and into the extraordinary category. First off, there are too many elements in the shot that clutters it and diminishes a focal point. A tighter crop chopping out the folded table on the left & the table against the metal backdrop on the right would center/ground the focus on the man sitting at the two seater table. Next, the glare on the cafe window is distracting - a simple polorizer filter to illiminate glare would take care of that - flash would not be good because most times it will just bounce off the glass and create a bigger problem of glare. An alternate would be to have been there at a different time of the day as that the sun's position will greatly affect the glare/reflections cast or not cast - but that may have meant you would not have had captured this candid shot of this man reading the paper (assuming that this is not a posed shot). Lastly, show us what the headlines are - if this is a posed shot then their indeed might have been a frontpage headline that catches one by surprise and makes us sing "I read the news today, oh boy!" And even if it was a candid, showing the headline might just by luck relate to the emotion/title/or challenge you are trying to tackle.

She Loves You
by MayaM

Comment:
Already scored this a 10 and I am now coming back to comment. Simple, clean and beautifully presented. The single petal and the remaining portion of the daisy are in crystal sharp focus. In the background we can see the blurred picked petals. They fade into the background not just physically but also symbolically. Those flower petals do not hold the answer to the question "Does she love me". The one that tells us "She Loves You" is the last remaining one on the daisy that dominates the forefront. Simply brilliant.