Joie de Vivre
by bjoern

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Great capture of the joy and a happy, free spirit that this portrait capture presents. Great freeze frame of the hair showing a 'free spirit' and the great wide smile that shows such joy. Excellent work.

Akha Hill Tribe Woman - Street Portrait
by cosney

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Fabulous work capturing this woman in her environment. Very much a National Geographic type shot. Light, color, clarity, composition are all top tier work.

Music to my ears
by nickyb

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Great light, great details, great friendly smile and absolutely great title that is a nod capturing the spirit of the person. Top tier work. The only thing I wish that this photo better captured is a little twinkle or catchlight in his eyes to further complement the character of the man who is Bear_Music.

Maria
by odriew

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

The lack of strong contrasts and color do not detract from this photograph but enhances it. Why? Because I get the strong sense of an old photograph. The mood and feel is of time gone by. The beauty of this person is forever captured/frozen in time to appreciate. The ladies features and the crown of flowers makes me think of Hawaii' sometime in the 1940's. Very nicely presented and done.

"What I hear with my Eyes, You will see with your Ears"
by RianBotes

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Love the mood, the lighting and the feeling behind this portrait. Even though only half the face is visible it speaks to me that music it a vital part of this person's life. Well done.

Feminam Humana
by MAK

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

This is absolutely TOP NOTCH! The lighting and the capture of expression there is something that is both captivating and akin to a painting...I think of the expression and light from Vermeer's Girl with Pearl Earring. Excellent work - 10.

The Instructions
by nam

Comment:
I thought that this would be a top ten. Great capture...very much like a painting in the lighting, mood, and capturing the interaction between the subjects. Well done!

Lulu and the Elephant
by RKT

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

There is a bit of nostalgia, the beauty of the everyday, and a story being played out here. The lighting and mood of the composition makes me think that this is a recalled memory. The event has long since past but the observance/watching of it lingers long in the memory. Perhaps it is a fond memory of a beloved pet playing with her favorite toy or perhaps it is a fond memory of how Lulu reacted/welcomed a 'new comer' to her personal window to the world.

The Messenger
by jagar

Comment:
Congrats on the ribbon John. I have been coming back to look at this from time to time. There is just something both mysterious and otherworldly captivating about this that it draws me back to look. I keep seeing this and I seem to be the only one - there is this 'shadow' stain outline of a horse/wolf leaping from the shadowy man. The head is the darker stain on the wall where the leg is lighter and bent in a leap. The hoof/paw comes down on that white box. Perhaps the messenger has a ride to get to places more quickly. Or may hap that 'shadow' on the wall is a manifestation of his animal form...which in that case it makes me think 'Dark horse' or 'Bad Wolf'.

Sunrise
by TommyMoe21

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Absolutely love the light that plays on the desert illuminating those lone mountain outcroppings and the plains below. Great colors that show off the beauty of this place in the hush of the early morning hours.