The Magic of the Rose
by neenee1999

Comment:
If you're going to shoot a rose, you really have to make sure it's a fantastic shot, otherwise it just winds up looking like all the other pictures of roses out there... that being said, it looks like you spent a while with this and were working outside of your comfort zone, which I always think is great and will make you a better photographer... unfortunately I cannot in good faith give this a high score, but I hope you will keep pushing yourself and entering.

The Botanist
by Oz

Comment:
Very nice. I'd have to think really hard to come up with constructive criticism for this photo... it's just very nicely handled in all respects, from concept to execution.

Red Geranium
by hahn23

Comment:
Good DOF & overall control of focus and lighting. Composition feels a bit "stretched" -- wonder if you could have boosted the impact by cutting a bit off of the left and right. Nonetheless, a pleasing photo, and one of the better ones I've seen so far

Mortar Enemies
by dtremain

Comment:
Dig the punny title. Choice of subject seems good, but the angle had led to a static composition, and the lighting is flat. Maybe back up some? Try a night shot? Come in closer with a wide-angle lens? I see a lot of potential in this building, but the end result seems unfortunately quite sterile.

Botanical Camouflage
by cloudsme

Comment:
Your reptile friend is the focus of this image, which sort of makes it DNMC, since the challenge description says: "Capture a well-composed image that has plant life as its central theme." Regardless, photographically, I think this would have been a much stronger image with a far tighter crop on the iguana--would have made the nice shallow DOF even more effective.

samsara
by posthumous

Comment:
Nice high-contrast/mostly-high-key minimalism--I dig the composition, but wish the bottom seed were as sharp as the other two

Green Lush
by theluissales

Comment:
Focus well controlled, shallow DOF and even lighting seem appropriate to your subject--but there's nothing here to grab my attention and keep me engaged. I'd give this a 5.5 if I could because it just screams "average" to me, but I'm rounding up to a 6

wild cucumber
by skewsme

Comment:
Weird-ass grainy high-contrast abstract macro of alien-looking plants... I dig. I think my vote is going to raise your average score

Sunrise at Lake Cattail
by nickyb

Comment:
Quite reminiscent of Bear_Music to me, which is never a bad thing, whether you're Robert or not--although selective desat is not something he tends to do, so I'm guessing this is not him. I guess it works here because it makes a strong focal point out of what otherwise would be a weak foreground element, although I generally disfavor the technique except in rare circumstances. Still, nicely delivered, with good deep DOF and solid representation of a full range of blacks and whites.

ye now have sorrow
by tnun

Comment:
I like the bleakness, the composition, the B/W and shallow DOF; I wonder if some vignetting (strong or subtle, either way) could have added some pop.