OO
by yanko

Comment:
Keep this one around to put up for Halloween! I am finding it very tricky use defocusing to get a blurred picture and still have a worthwhile subject instead of just an out-of-focus snapshot. This is technically good, artistically wonderful, and a valuable contribution to the "sharpless" topic.

Cartwheeel
by Wildcard

Comment:
Excellent approach to bluring via manual focus, which is harder than it looks. It is easy to get an image that just looks badly focused. This one still has a well-defined subject, and the short shutter speed kept the person from looking mushy. Your choice of tone and brightness cap it off nicely. I think it should be framed and displayed prominently, maybe in a recreation center or school.

Remember That Summer
by Wildcard

Comment:
I like them both. The color version is like a splash of activity fresh in the mind - not enough time to catch the finest details, but you know it was fun. The black and white version is like an older memory, not so fresh and fun, but a welcome impression of a sparkling good time.

Dance Practice
by bob350

Comment:
Thank you all for such positive comments and suggestions. The "sharpless" side challenge has been a great stimulus for experimenting and learning.

Her arms are present, but more ghostly than legs or head because of being moved more to maintain balance. In spinning, the dancer plants one foot on the ground for part of the turn, then plants the other foot, and repeats. Since the placement is different each time, the result is "multiple legs" from the long exposure - no strobes required - while the skirt's even motion makes a smooth shape. The spin was pretty fast but not pushed to the limit.

I hadn't thought of a B&W version, but L1's suggestion prompted me to try. The thumbnail above is a hyperlink to the portfolio image. Thanks so much for the idea.

The light behind her is sunshine shining into the room through a red bedsheet attached to the curtains. It is supplemented by a 60 w reading lamp on picture right and a little ambient light through curtains behind the camera. I did not try any faster shutter speeds, although that might have been interesting.

Teleporting In
by levyj413

Comment:
Very clever strategy for having only part of the image blurred. It would be interesting to see the version without the green color, but I do like the artistic effect, which matches your interpreation. At the same time, her expression is a great enhancement to the composition. Nice capture.

study of a young woman
by silverfoxx

Comment:
This is one of the images I come back to repeatedly, both because it captures a classic style so well and because it is so very well done. This time, I just noticed your notation that posted comments help when you feel down. We all need a boost once in a while, particularly when life or art feel difficult. A thread on the forum says this image was selected for exhibition in Denver, and it looks like that show is in progress right now. I hope that being shown brings you some well-deserved happiness, maybe to help balance the down times. Keep up the great work.

Itsy bitsy ....
by brayburn

Comment:
Somehow this fails to communicate emotion at all, let alone extreme emotion. But then, I don't suffer from extreme arachnophobia.

Caught in the rain
by JaimeVinas

Comment:
This does not seem to meet the definition of the challenge, as a "still life" would have inanimate objects as the subject. It might be possible to have this image of two people walking look less like a snapshot by shooting closer or by cropping to simplify the background (maybe eliminate the verticle pole on the left) and by adjusting brightness a tad. Unfortunately, the water bottle also detracts from the people.

Tribute To Van Dael
by scarbrd

Comment:
The rich variety of colorful flowes and fruits makes me want to view this image over and over. Nicely done.

Sharing the spotlight with the magnificent Sphinx of Egypt
by HighNooner

Comment:
Looks like a portrait to me. The definitions of "still life" consistently call for an image of inanimate objects, so this picture doesn't seem to meet the challenge, even if he is standing still.