waiting to let go....
by theodor38

Comment:
Mad strange hilarious fantastic image. I'll come nack to it later ...

Focus On Happiness
by labuds

Comment:
Congratulations Aleks. I still think this is more about deign than photography, but have no problem with being in a minority here. What I am particularly glad about is that this, the most interesting use of the technique submitted here, has scored well enough to give you a ribbon.

Great Miami River- Hamilton
by Crafty Sue

Comment:
I like the high-key, but your framing and composition of this image make that seem like an accident. For me, you shoudl have placed the horizon higher in frame, and shown more of the foreground - that would provide balance between the two land-masses, and reduce the top of frame negative space (which seems to add very little in terms of impact).

Adrift in a Shallow Field of Snow
by mariomel

Comment:
Marvellous image - PS'd to highlight the benches, or a genuine moment of light? Just curious: either way this scores very high. Reminiscent of something, or rather of someone's work ... though I'd have to look that up. Top photo - reallly really good. And best inchallnge from me.

Unwinding bun
by MarieW

Comment:
Like this. Reminds me of some mid-victorian photography, that posed and very masked sexuality some of that era's work had. As a study of the sensuality of a neck it's pretty effective. The downside is that the title you've given it really doesn't match the image - that unwinding hair is so much darker than the face and neck - I really have to brighten my monitor to see it clearly. An additional touch of top-light, or even another rear left might have generated some shine on the hair to give more emphasis to it. nevertheless, 7.

Ouch!
by zerocusa

Comment:
Wonderful photojournalism shot - the 'technical errors', the blurring and the exposure help enormously. The bead of sweat about to fall from his nose is a masterful touch to capture. The subject is perhaps the diametric opposite of the challenge title, but that would be churlish grounds on which to mark this down. I hope not too many people have.

Telling Love Goodbye
by karmat

Comment:
Now I have a dilemma: this is such a ceareful shot - certainly in its post work. But I don't find it terribly emotive, and it seems (partly from the title) to be so deliberately pulling at the heart strings. It is, at least, a touch more restrained than some of the 'despairing' shots. Guess i'll have to come back to it.

Samuel: Drool Master
by Jacko

Comment:
Made me laugh ...

Letting go . . . A little every day.
by illit-Affliction

Comment:
Can't get away from the conjunction of that pillar and his right hand - it does actually look as though he's just let it go - but can't believe from the composition or your title that it was intended.

Capturing Elegance
by Konador

Comment:
from the Critique Club

Huh, what's to critique? Quality of light/shade on the car is advertising standard (as I should hope, reading your notes), though i guess one could argue that the top rail has disappeared a touch too far into the high-key background. Placement of shadow is perfect, photoshopping work is seamless (again, as I should hope, given the lighting situation to work with). Distribution of 'weight' across frame is spot-on.

Given it's quality, I wonder why it wasn't you second blue? It has that same surprise element as the winner, without it being so slap-you-round-the-head obvious, is blatantly competent, all the hallmarks ... I wonder if perhaps its a touch too good, that car being so very professionally lit and everything ...

More top work, Ben

E