Victory belongs to the most persevering.
by ozerad

Comment:
Good idea, excellent execution.

Graduation
by abapna

Comment:
A very nice abstract feel. The blown-out sheet upper right is a bit too dominant, the frame a bit too heavy for my taste, otherwise it is visually pleasing stuff.

A Portrait of Success
by jodeleeuw

Comment:
If it was that simple ;) Sorry, but I don't get the message. Is the background significant? Why an empty frame? Is there some deep philosophical statement implied?
I'm trying to imagine what the effect would be, had you printed your picture and put that one in the frame, then reshot, etc. etc. (but with the ribbon only in the last frame...). Estethically not entirely without charm, food for thought, but a bit too deep for me.

Making the Move. Conquering the Rock.
by WCpilot

Comment:
Good composition, dynamic feel. Technically adequate.

Dance On A Volcano
by tcc

Comment:
This did a whole lot better than I could have imagined!
Thanks for the votes and the supportive comments! And again a special thanks to Joanne for picking it as a favourite � the second time you picked one of mine in a row! Very gratifying! I could get used to it�;)

I thought I might add a comment on the title, that I forgot to put in in the excitement while uploading. Of course it is inspired by the old Genesis title, as Jeff observed, and the spontaneous association in seeing the �pose� of the doggy-shaped smoke. However, it is actually meant as a statement on how I view the activities of certain parts of the chemical industry! A tiny statement, for sure, and not really supported by the photo, but I couldn�t resist it�

"I'm not listening!"
by tcc

Comment:
Thanks for the votes and the comments. And a very special thanks to Joanne for the "favorite status" - I am still thrilled by it!

Best Friends
by kashi

Comment:
Three assumptions: the entry is not meant as a joke, you are not an expert photog who decided to break a couple of rules just for fun, and you wouldn't mind some friendly advice. If one of them is not true, stop reading!

You wanted to share a special moment with the rest of us, and you love the dogs. That is great. The problem is, the picture gives us no clue as to what IS special with the moment, and since we do not have the privilege of knowing the dogs, all we see are two anonymous dog butts chasing across a singularly uninspiring field. We are obviously not meant to be part of the action, since the dogs turn their backs on us. We can either say "who cares" or feel unhappy about it, give you a low vote, and go on to the next one. But that is not why you posted the picture, is it?

The dogs are in focus, they are not in the centre of the picture, and you have added a frame - that tells me this is not a shot by a completely ignorant beginner. The dogs are practically flying over the ground, giving a nice sense of dynamic. But that is not enough to make the picture interesting.

What if you had waited until they got back from their chase, ears flapping, tongues hanging out, eyes bright from the adventures. Exactly the same picture, but turned around, so to speak. I bet the effect would have been very different, the picture telling a story all of its own. Never mind the background then, you would be drawn in to share the excitement with the dogs.

OK, so maybe they didn't come back like that. Tough luck. In snapshots, luck and timing are essential. One day they will, though, and I hope you have the camera ready when they do. That's a picture I'd like to see.

Retail Partners
by figaro

Comment:
Pleasant colours and interesting textures. The light is perfect to bring out all nuances in them. But the crop is pretty strange. I think you should either have included the heads, or - if the background would then have been too busy, or you didn't have the heads in the frame to begin with - gone all the way and taken the persons out completely. Then tilted the crop to have the shadows starting at the edge, and the rest of the frame just those neat textures.

(Brown) Sugar & Spice
by GeneralE

Comment:
Sweet ;) And a nice idea. Unfortunately the DOF seems a bit off. I like the "messy" surrounding, gives it an impulsive feel, despite the obvious set-up.

Last Two Standing
by vsboz

Comment:
You seem to have a DOF problem - the flowers are not in focus, but the leaves are. I am afraid you also overdid it on the processing. The composition is not bad, but the overall effect is a bit - overwhelming. If you got all exited with the possibilities in your editing program, relax a bit. Not all settings have to be at the extreme. If you specifically wanted this effect - fair enough.