The Sewing Project
by Greetmir

Comment:
This looks cluttered, as the lines made by the sewing needles, the spiral thing, and the pen, all lead away from the image. It also looks a little flat. Given those materials, I might have made a nest with the ribbon and that other ribbon-looking thing in the upper left, placed the smaller items inside, and took a shot "peeking in".

Spool of Red
by Elaine

Comment:
I think a deeper DOF would help this; the string blurring at the edge of the spool distracts me from the detail that is in focus.

Placebo
by meyers

Comment:

Originally posted by OmanOtter: An atheist who was raised in almost any religion you can name may still feel culturally a member of that religious group.

As an athiest raised by Christians, I can tell you that is not always true. As for the stick in my woody's rear, please take a look at the image below; I was referring to the base, which attaches to the woody in a seeemingly uncomfortable location.

Creative Solution to Crosstown Traffic
by levyj413

Comment:
Nice clear focus and exposure. I was a little puzzled by the smoke coming from the front of the car until I read your comment. I really like the bicycles in the background.

Hangar, Gulls and Geese
by posthumous

Comment:
Woo, lines..color..*and* texture? A visual treat! I think you have a little too much sky though, and the horizon ended up splitting your image in half.

The Lime Porthole into my Red World
by jaysonmc

Comment:
I like the framing, but the scene behind it looks like it has too much of a green cast. The lights above the people are a little distracting, though that might have been unavoidable.

Winter Fruit
by bmartuch

Comment:
The focus is sharp on the foreground cherries, and their stems, but I think their shape could have been brought out more if there was a light source on, say, the left side of you, though not perpendicular to your view. You could get a catch-light effect on each of the cherries then.

Edit: Sheesh, look like I got for writing comments before reading other ones..

Message edited by author 2007-03-14 20:38:50.

Full Moon on Red Wall
by JuliBoc

Comment:
I like the mix of shapes, though the handle in the bottom left is a little distracting.

A Natural Redhead
by noraneko

Comment:
Nice bokeh, but the image overall feels a little dark.

Placebo
by meyers

Comment:
I'd like to respond to OmanOtter's accusations that my image constitutes "hate speech."

The subject, and title, refer to prayer being a placebo. Studies, such as the one by the American Heart Journal have shown at best there is no correlation between a patient knowing others are praying for them and a speedy recovery, and at worse some found that those patients fare worse on average. A common response to this finding is "God helps those who help themselves," thus giving further support to prayer not being a substitute for actual medical care.

The idea that using a Christian book is gutless, as opposed to attacking one of the other groups Mr OmarOtter lists, is laughable. It would be gutless to attack a group which does not have the power to defend itself. Christians, in the western world, have incredible political power. For example, the House of Representatives passed bill HR 2679, which does not allow a plaintiff to recover their legal costs when attempting to stop government displays of Christianity. Ann Coulter, in front of the Conservative Political Action Conference, called John Edwards a faggot, and received applause. This behavior was not out of character for her, and she will continue to be a prominent part of Republican punditry. Clearly, this shows it is acceptable to attack gay people. There are still parts of this country where being openly gay can get you beaten to death.

On to the specific charge that this image, by not including references to several religions, is "hate speech." In the context of the challenge, "Alternative Medicine," I express the idea that prayer is not an effective substitute for real medical care. It can make some people feel better though, just like a placebo. In a larger sense, however, it is important to note that criticism by itself is not intolerance. My image does nothing to expressly or implicitly imply violence or prejudicial action against Christians.

I have no problem with the fact that some people, Mr OmanOtter included, found this image offensive. I do take issue with some of his comments directed at me.