The Color of Money
by Kha0S

Comment:
One of my favorite uses of selective desaturation I've seen. Very nice shot. 9

Penniless
by scalvert

Comment:
Extremely well done and creative! Focus, tonal range, lighting, all great! 10

Looking Toward A Brighter Day
by aerogurl

Comment:
Powerful image. Your use of strong lighting matches so well with the title. Well done.

Poverty Is
by Diana

Comment:
Very creative! Reminds me of an article I read called, "do what you love and you'll probably starve." Only thing that detracts from this image is the hazyness at the bottom. Otherwise, well done! 7

The girl with the matches
by siggi

Comment:
Doesn't quite evoke images of poverty for me with such a clean, white sweater and fashionably cut hair. But the mysticism that surrounds it makes it seem that she is beyond that. Lovely color, focus and lighting.

Awakened on the Streets
by Brenb

Comment:
Beautiful colors and softness. Such a lovely face in these surroungs. Wonderful capture. 8

Once Upon A Time...
by aerogurl

Comment:
Yea, yea, yea! Congrats on your first ribbon! Whoo hoo!!!!

Bleak
by BigZenDragon

Comment:
While I love this shot and hope to shoot something similar one day, I'm afraid I just didn't understand what you were getting at. Maybe you were trying to say that this person has a bleak outlook on life? I plan on checking back once the challenge is over and seeing your comments. I'm sure this was quite difficult to shoot, but one thing that would have added to the appeal would have been to have seen more detail in the eye. The pupil and iris blend into each other and I would have like to have seen them more defined. Looking forward to your comments!

Opposable Thumb
by GeneralE

Comment:
Returning for comments: I struggled with this one. After looking at this photo for quite a while, and finally recognizing that the model was holding a bone, I realized that you were tring to say that a human being's defining feature is the opposable thumb. What would have improved this photo greatly for me would have been to have a more recognizable bone - like one of those big knuckle bones that you can purchase for dogs in pet stores. Also, I know that it might be cliche' but the photo would make more sense to me if a big, burly, hairy, caveman like guy were holding the bone. This small, delicate hand made it difficult for me to understand what you were trying to convey. Lastly, I would have used a little more light to help dispell some of the shadow under the fingers. Your idea was excellent, but refining the execution would make this a much stronger shot.

Love In Her Eyes
by jbeazell

Comment:
Returning to make comments: Bravo to you for technical excellence. I'm quite sure this shot will find its way into the top three. I especially like the use of the very shallow DOF to keep our attention on the in-focus lashes surrounding the iris of the eye. I'm glad you avoided using selective desaturation on this shot. I think the emphasis would have been too "in your face." Besides, I appreciate the simplicity of B&W used here. My personal preference would have been to have seen a little more contrast to make the pupil black, but perhaps this wasn't possible due to the subtle tones on the skin. Either way, this is excellent work. 9.