This is to me a lovely picture. It meets all the criteria for a highly rated image. It is technically outstanding. All that needs to be sharp is sharp, and realistic. All of the “bit players” are softer and do not steal away the eye. It is creative and it impacts the viewer.

It is always a treat to see heron and egret chicks when they are young and vying for the food mom is bringing. The photographer has well captured a bit of the non-stop motion that occurs when mom returns. I think that the exposure and shutter speed are well done to freeze the action. The problem with so many rookeries as I have experienced is that the backgrounds are too busy and steal from the main subject. For me the image has been overly sharpened. I have attached a similar picture of my own as a comparison.

The triad of blues, yellows and reds of this image for me make it pleasing to the eye. To me the “riveted” eyes of the young model take and hold my eyes there and create a great fixation point. The huge strawberry and wispy hair add to the quality of the image. I feel that a bit higher f/stop might have been used as the fingernails on the hand and the ears show a bit of softness. Because the background wood is so small by amount of the image it would have been ok to have everything in sharp focus.

For me the title well captures the idea of the image. I believe that the creator of this image has done an excellent job of exposure and DoF to get details of the snow throughout. Whether in Capture or post the colors and brightness of the sky are realistic and complementary. In the VF I have removed a bit od the neutral space in the foreground and a bit of the sky to bring the arched lines of the snow to the 1/3rd points and to make this more of a panorama. For me this helps accentuate the beautiful lines in the snow.

From my judging experience this is another well done image. The photographer has chosen a fast shutter speed that not only captures the players but and the splash of the wet turf. The emotion on the faces adds to the story. A slightly darker background might make the players stand out even more.

This image is striking from the second it is opened and viewed. Amy has done an exceptional job in capture with the placement of the tree and roots. The image is tack sharp. The DoF provides an interesting background that steals nothing from the main subject. The choice of “near monochrome” (I see some brown in the roots) adds to the mystic of the image. Lastly the image is unique. This is a keeper!

Kudos to the creator for trying a very difficult shot. A bee at this magnification, from my experience, requires absolute precision and DoF. To my eye this is close. That said, I feel that the bee is sharper to the left but loses that detail on the right especially in the critical area of the eye. I have learned from experience that when a wing or other body part extends out of the image it can be interpreted as a near miss on the image. One way I have been taught to fix this, if the sharpness is there, is to crop in even farther. In the VF I copied the left side and flipped it then cropped in farther

For me the first strong feature of this image is the green/purple binary color scheme. I feel that it is very pleasing to the eye. I think that the bee provides a fixation point for the eye as well. From my experience in floral images the petals need to be “razor Sharp whereas these seem to me to be somewhat soft. I also seems to me that the white area in the background to the right of the flower is a possible distraction. The creator might consider reducing highlights in the background.

I believe that the creator of this image used both good technical composition in Capture and very appropriate post-processing to make the image appear period correct. To my eye even the insets in the door and window in the background appear to be correct. Together these add to the impact of the image.

For me the technical details of this image are spot on. The colors are realistic which is important because greens often get overly saturated. The focus and DoF yield detail from front to back. And the author of this image has given us a unique scene. To my eye though there is not fixation point. I feel that after seeing what must be the desired subject, the tree in front, my eye keeps drifting out of the page to the left In the VF I attempted (quickly – please forgive me the blur on the right) to add content to the right, move the “subject tree” to the 1/3 point and remove the trees on the left that distracted my eye.

Creativity is one key to an outstanding image. The creator has done that well. Capturing the eyes to help tell the story of her trust in her father is for me another key to this image. I believe that the post work is also well done with the background black but all darker areas of the people having detail and it has controlled whites. I feel that the creator of the image might think about leaving slightly more space on each side and on the bottom.

I have done this shot on three occasions – of course from different locations. There are two real keys to this shot from my experience. They are 1. The right setup on the camera to capture all the stars without exposing so long that you get blur. And 2. is an interesting foreground that completes the picture. To my eye the creator of this image has done both! Frame this one and hang it on the wall!

From my experience one of the first things I look for in a monochrome image of an animal is the exposure – has the author captured all of the necessary detail and features. My answer here is a definite “yes.” For me I would however like to see more of the eye. If the originator were able to get this type of image in the future they might think of shotting from a 45° angle to the face. BTW many of the classic portrait painters over centuries painted from that angle. I feel that more room – and looser crop – it front of the dog may also improve the image.

For me this is another image that my eye can fixate on better if flipped horizontally. To me the “party” is the blossom and the butterfly – my eye want to move to them immediately and not be distracted. The green foliage on the originals right side is challenging my eye for attention. So, the creator might think of removing that as I have done in the visual feedback.

This image immediately appeals to my eye. From my experience this is a unique image that is different left to right but yet balanced and comfortable to the eye. The colors and saturation trigger thoughts of “painterly” type post-processing which for me adds to the details. The soft background adds depth without distracting the eye from the cornucopia of colors in the interior.

For me this this image is extremely creative. I feel that the photographer has done an outstanding job in capture and has truely gotten the essence of an arcade. From my experience I would flip the image horizontal as the “western” eye likes to move across the image left to right. To my eye the ear sharpness and the bright white line behind the heed are somewhat distracting.

I think this is a nice action wildlife shot. I like the composition and the appropriate shutter speed and aperture to isolate the subjects. For me the only (but significant) issue is not being able to see the other half of the story, the head and reaction of the crane on the right. When reviewing images to submit for competitions or critique, ask yourself, “What would make this a better image?”.

Many photographers have no understanding of the work needed for an image as simple and yet complicated as this. Sometimes less is more. I think cloning out the distracting faint leaves on the right background would fine tune an already stunning image. Nicely done.

I find this a very inviting view of a peaceful swamp-like landscape. I like the textures and especially the use of reflections to add depth. I find myself drawn into the image seeking what may be beyond the next turn. Nice depth of field. Maybe a little dehaze or highlight reduction would add extra mystery and drama. For me, the extra foreground below the root structure on the left competes for my attention to be pulled into the image. Cropping that out would also put the “horizon” at the 1/3 line and balance the composition. Just a thought.

This image is tack sharp and the focus and colors are vivid. I find the bright red eye dramatic and mysterious. I think having the eye slightly off center adds to the dramatic effect. Very provocative.