I also believe this a good picture, although I will disagree on the aspect of the birds. I feel they detract a little from the 'shapes' theme as that they kind of pull the eye away from the smokestack, what I see as the main focus.
The lighting on this image is great and adds to a 'mood' which enchances the overall broader theme.
I really don't see how this pic finished so in the middle. It seems that the studio shot fares overly-well in the challenges. I really liked this picture. The bird in the smokestack is really nice.
What incredible atmosphere - a great take on the challenge. Wonderful lighting and those birds add a great sense of man vs nature. I can't quite decide what would have improved this at the bottom, but it's not quite right (too little / not enough?). No matter though - it's a winner.
Wonderfully moody shot and an excellent entry for the shapes challenge. I think that I would have found the composition to be more powerful with both of the sides cropped "in" some - there seems to be just too much "space " around the main shape. 8