James
by Shadowi6

Comment:
A bold attempt, so I give you credit for the mere creativity. I think I would lightly burn the torso, though, as it is so much more washed out than the rest of the face.

Dayton
by brownsm

Comment:
It's a timeless expression on the subject's face, but the lighting on the features makes this look slightly overexposed. I might try lightly burning the cheeks and chin regions to bring out those freckles, too.

The Drunken Master
by tiby_dicu

Comment:
Lovely idea and nice composition...but not as well-executed as it might have been. It's a bit too grainy and ill-focused to persuade me.

Liz
by dsa157

Comment:
Very flattering, but for my artistic taste (entirely subjective), this feels too "posed" and hence "unnatural" for me. The subject's expression is nice...though distant.

... the boyfriend blues ...
by roz

Comment:
Beautifully executed, and the post-processing really draws the focus squarely to the eyes.

what is on man's mind
by eirasi

Comment:
Very well executed composition here. My only complaint (and it's a matter of artistic opinion, not photographic composition): the shadows feel TOO dark, especially in the eye. I rated this one a 7.

Pure Portrait
by crowis

Comment:
A bit blurry on the facial details (esp. the the nose and eyes)...and it doesn't quite look intentional. One approach I use to help make it look intentional is to apply a "diffuse" filter to the entire image. Otherwise, though, this is a very flattering image. Thanks for sharing it!

Miss Amy - Photographer...Friend
by rayg544

Comment:
It looks to me like a higher crop on the bottom would have made this a more flattering portrait of the subject, without losing the nice effect of those railroad tracks in the background. I love the lighting, though.

The 13th Day...the aftermath.
by annependleton

Comment:
This was one of my favorite submissions for this challenge, even if the interpretation is a bit of a stretch for me. This is a wonderful example of tasteful digital transformation of what might otherwise be a mediocre photo into something truly special. Keep up the good work, and I hope to see other experiments of this sort in the Free Studies in the future!

I hate bills...
by thegrandwazoo

Comment:
Interesting perspective. I'm not entirely persuaded because of the "busy-ness" of the foreground, though. Would you consider making everything but the "past due" black and white?