Experimentation with Test Tubes and Colors
by JeniY

Comment:
I like this photo, it meets the challenge well but doesn't scream chemistry. Just as well because screaming isn't the kind of emotion this picture conveys - it is very serene and peaceful and thats what makes it work so well.

The natural mix of colours compliment each other and add to that overall peaceful feel. The only niggles are the odd spot here and there which seem to distract but even so this is a great shot. 8.

Chemically Altered Experience
by Pipe_Dream

Comment:
This is the image which jumped out at me when I first flicked through the submissions. I think this one will ribbon for sure, and its easy to see why. The lighting is spot on - you really nailed it, especially with the fall off in the background blue which adds extra interest to your lighting alone. The depth of field on the face compliments the picture, and the tack sharpness of the face and water (sweat?) are great, along with the superb lighting which brings out some of the texture of the pills on the tongue. The square crop works well here too and isn't just used for the sake of it as so many other submissions have.

Finally, I like your execution of the idea enough but the idea itself deserves merit for being an outside the box approach which isn't just a dubious ploy to try to make something fit into the challenge. It does fit, and it isn't an obvious idea for the challenge which makes it all the sweeter. 9 from me.

Ink Diffusion Painting
by sooz

Comment:
The natural beauty of the ink patterns is really quite hypnotic. The pink ones at the top of this concoction work really well but soon mesh into a horrible looking mess towards the bottom of the tank. This is where your image loses some of its appeal, particularly at the very bottom of the tank where it even turns to green. It leaves me a bit uncomforatble in terms of your subject matter.

I think a closer crop of the top of the tank would have worked better, it would also mean you cut out the line in the background where your worktop meets your wall which I find somewhat distracting. Certainly an interesting attempt though, a 6 from me.

Xylem Chemistry
by Tannis

Comment:
Intersting macro subject- good use of depth of field isolates your subjects (the leaf, the water droplet) well and the idea is threaded together pretty well with the inclusion of your title to link this into the chemistry challenge.

I'd have preferred the colours a bit more saturated and crank up those blacks some too as this image is a bit flat and lifeless. The addition of the orange bug is a nice touch and with this additional colour it adds another element of interest and breaks the shot up some.

Overall 6.

Petro-Chem
by signal2noise

Comment:
This image looks very stock-like. Its sharp, clean and well lit and exposed, the guy in the background is in just the right depth of field spot - not so much that he distracts from the foreground subject and not so blurred that we cannot tell what it is. Very well executed and really adds to the image.

With the references 'petro' and 'crude' I'm guessing this is some partially distilled samples of oil and this explains the fairly narrow choice of colours from the rainbow - indeed you have made a good selection with what you have. I'd have scored this higher if it was a bit more 'out of the box' but as it is I give this an 8.

"So THAT's how it's spelled..."
by Lydia

Comment:
I like the very subtle highlight to the passage in the dictionary about chemistry but that I think is where this image meeting the challenge ends. I'm not sure of the relevance of the gecko and the pencil - to me they aren't closely related to chemistry and I've been looking at this image for a while now and can't think how they add to your theme and idea.

Technically this is fairly strong, you've obviously got some patience to make the gecko sit still for so long, or a fast shutter :) in any case, its well executed with the exception of cutting off the gecko's tail (but hey they grow back right?!). But because I'm not convinced that your idea is that closely related to chemistry I had to score this down some and give it a 4.

Conservation of Energy
by boyd2000

Comment:
The duality of this image is refreshing to see in this challege - you've tried to meet it on two levels by including an obvious reference to chemistry (ie the books) and then linked your title into your subject matter using chemistry terminology. Technicals all look good to me but I'm hungry for more subject matter - I cast my eyes over this shot and theres nothing to hold me there, nothing to make me linger. Perhaps use of gels and colour would add more interest, or focusing in more on the sleeping guy with the chemical textbooks in the foreground might have helped this image a bit more. Overall 5.

Kitchen sink chemistry
by pdbartlett

Comment:
This is an interesting concept and meets the challenge well. The look of concentration on the girls face is really what makes this shot work, for me. I think some technical faults let the image down on the hole though. Your subject (the girl) isn't sharp - it looks like a case of camera shake to me. This is pretty distracting and takes my attention away from your subject matter. The background is too cluttered, again this means its competing for my attention and gives the photo a snapshot kind of feel. Try minimising objects in the background and focus attention in on exactly where you want people to be looking in your photo. 4 from me.

Cautious
by h2

Comment:
This looks like a photo from a stock site, thats a good thing. Its crisp, clean and well executed. The depth of field isolates the subject matter well and the out of focus guy in the background underlies the chemistry theme. This is a great example of blowing the highlights to good effect, as they are only blown in the background and this again adds the focus to the foreground.

The only thing which lets this down a little is that I think the concept is a little too obvious and I would have liked to have seen a more creative interpretation of the challenge. However its tough to balance ideas against the guys like me and the 'DNMC!' crowd so I won't hold it aginst you ;) 8.

Phosphoric Glow
by omikeo

Comment:
This is an interesting little object which piques my interest. I'm curious what it is, as the blue light isn't revealing a lot of detail and so because of this curiousity I'm tempted to linger for longer on this photo in order to discern what I'm looking at. I suspect its a spirt level.

The blues are a nice interesting shade and that helps with the overall interest of the photo.

Unfortunately you need a steady hand it seems as this looks a little blurry to my eyes. I also question why you have so much negative space in the image? It doesn't really seem to add anything to the picture overall so a closer crop might have been a better choice, particuarly because this is something of an abstract photo and a closer crop would have added to this feeling. Overall 4.