After reading your description of how the shot just happened, I have to agree, it just happens like that sometimes. Ain't it great when it falls together? Really nice stuff.
Is this Brooklyn Heights promenade? It's a beautiful shot. As you say, everything lined up perfectly. However, they didn't line themselves up, you lined them up. I'm glad the voters rewarded you with a good score, and you made it into the top 20.
Excellent perspective and love the echoing circles of the handles. Good choice on the duotones. I think it would have been just as great without the thick side borders.
Haha... nice tones, lines, vantage point. I wonder if this is Pineapple. I like how you got the bridge pillar in line with the vanishing point of the benches.
8 - Nice image, toning works well, like the newspaper element. A more refined crop, especially on the left, or else a little more included, may make this even better in my opinion. Unusual framing does work, takes a bit of time to adjust / decide on, but your call anyway, obviously.
Very nice! Why only verticle borders? My eyes follows the bench and leaves the photo...maybe a top border would have prevented that? Anyway, I'm sure you had a good reason that is above me and the photo really works so who am I to say? Ps. If someone says there is too much boring sky at the top left don't believe them - the sky is a perfect compliment to the subject.