Cobra Charmer
by TOY

Comment:
What an amazing photograph... simple, yet beautiful and so interesting. I will be surprised if this isn't in the top 10. I really like the lighting, and the model has such a unique look. Under other circumstances I would probably find her too thin, but it works for this shot in such a superb way. Don't have much of anything negative to say about it... great composition, color, and poise. Good job.

Twins!!
by KarisMo

Comment:
What a lovely shot. I really love the personality in this photo, as well as its simple nature and non-reliance on post processing to carry it through. I definitely had to do a double take to tell if they were really twins or not (and that's a testament to the picture, for sure)! :-) My biggest complaint would be that I feel you could have either closed the aperture to get both boys in focus, or perhaps instead, shifted the focus to the subject who is facing us and making the connection with the viewer. Although the boy in the foreground is closer, he is looking off to the side and isn't, in my eyes, where I want the focus to be: right at the catchlights in the eyes of the boy who is looking right at us. Other than that, a beautiful picture with a lot of heart and nice, appropriate colors throughout. Great job.

Carol Hicks Bolton - Furniture Stylist
by scarbrd

Comment:
I really like this photograph a lot; even though the subject is simple, it's completely appropriate and very well framed. I would go so far as to say as I think this picture felt the most "professional" to me in the lot, in as much as I could easily see it in a magazine or the like. The composition is very strong, the lighting is great, the focus is tack sharp, and the colors are all complimentary of each other. I feel like there are some other photographs in the challenge which have just a tad more originality to them, but on the technical level this one is really great. Good job.

The Little Mermaid
by njsabs

Comment:
What a bold, engaging photograph! First, I must say that I really love the color, the expression of the subject, and the texture used throughout. It's a really unique and powerful photo and my guess is it is going to do extremely well. My critique would be that it feels a bit overprocessed to me - slightly to a detrimental level - and I think this shot could actually be enhanced by holding back just a little. The eyes in particular, while certainly striking and colorful, are just a bit too sharp and in high contrast in relation to the rest of the picture. While they certainly grab your focus, they also feel somewhat less genuine in the context of this photo for me. Her cheeks also look a tad saturated, almost as if all of the pink color was entirely added in post (maybe it was?). Other than that, you made a very bold compositional/angle choice, the color of the entire image is fantastic, and the subject is both enchanting and beautiful. Great job.

Sobriquet
by Cutter

Comment:
This is a really interesting shot, but I think very effective as a color portrait. The amount of processing feels just right, and nothing is oversharpened or saturated to an unnatural level. The expression on the subject's face is a curious one; it feels to me like it is almost leaning toward anger, and I am not sure why that would be the choice in an obviously posed, lit portrait setting. What is the reason for the level of sternness in the subject's glance, in other words? With this in mind, I love the lighting and the beautiful catch lights in his eyes, and the colors all have a balanced and complimentary tone that really enhance this photograph a lot. Great job.

Green Eyes
by dwterry

Comment:
I really like this shot a lot. The composition and balance of the subjects are very nice, and the background is appropriate with beautiful bokeh. I also like the contrast on the model's faces; it really adds some depth to the shot. Somehow her eyes feel just a bit too oversaturated for my tastes... I know many voters here seem to love that extremely pure tone, but I feel it's a little unnatural and actually on the side of feeling over processed for me. That being said, I think my biggest gripe is actually not the photo itself but rather the border; while I feel the thin band of color is simple and appropriate to use, it feels a little warmer/saturated compared to the bulk of the rest of the picture and I would rather the subjects maintain the focal vibrance. That in no way has anything to do with the actual photograph, however, and I'm not going to let a border affect my rating; just an impression I have of the overall presentation. Great job.

Within
by Joey Lawrence

Comment:
I love this photo, especially the tonality of the image. What a striking character.

Early Morning Light
by Siggav

Comment:
Who gives this kind of photograph a 5 or a 6?

Good job, Siggav - your ribbon is well-deserved.

Sentinel of the Hills
by cutlassdude70

Comment:
I think this photo is gorgeous. I can't speak for the rest of the voters (49th? wow...), but you got one of the only two 10s I placed in the competition. Colors are fantastic, depth is great, detail is tack sharp. I see now that you gave all of the light to the aperture... wise choice.

As far as the "thirds" thing is concerned, I think this image defines it. It's simple yet beautiful, elegant yet powerful. There's no question where we want to look, but you've kept detail in every part of the frame. Perhaps most impressive is that in an era of overmanipulation and postprocessing, you let the picture speak for itself. Great job.

Midnight Rider
by arnit

Comment:
I love this photograph; it was my favorite in the competition. The expanse of the clouds is amazing, the determination of the rider is certain. You have a 10 from me.