December Reflections
by Cam

Comment:
This would make for a better photo in the fall. It is still good though.

THAW
by ellamay

Comment:
Darn good photo, but we just saw this in the Motivational Poster challenge. Lots of dust here on the lense or on inside your camera. I'm counting atleast 10 spots that I can see at a glance.

I'm guessing you chose this photo for the sparkle on the lower left side of the drop of water? Nice touch.

IceHotel
by indigo997

Comment:
This picture makes me want to be there to see this in person. Wow, now that looks cold. I'm looking forward to reading your word's on this one. Great capture, great exposure control.

I'd love to see this have one more color in it. Maybe a bon fire in the lower left foreground. Enough to bounce off the wall, like the orange light in the back left?

Very interesting....High marks here.....

BANG!
by jjbeguin

Comment:
Interesting photo, but a little disturbing. Is this for real, or set up?

Good color/tone, but there is some really tough competition in this challenge.

A December Evening at the Square
by HRoxas

Comment:
These colors and these lines work very very well in this photograph. The fact that this is a night shot, makes it even better. Great job on exposure control, and excellent framing. The only thing that holds me back from a 10 is the foreground lighting. Your exposure was long enough for you to hold a flash and bump the front, which would have added just a bit. Very well done.

Christmastime Wishes
by CreativeFlyPhoto

Comment:
Great capture! Good exposure, good compo. The only negative thing I noticed was the Tilt. This is an easy fix in PS. Play around with it. The castle would need to drop the left side just a degree or two.

This photo makes me which I was there for the celebration. High marks!

On a wing and a prayer...
by MikeO

Comment:
That better not be a store bought swan's wing.

I like the lighting on the lower right, how it picks up the details of the feather. It's ashame we couldn't get that effect across the entire wing.

Leftovers
by casualguy

Comment:
Just a good photograph all the way around. Nice job.

Longing
by jenesis

Comment:
Strong mood, excellent framing and a great capture. The only weak point I see here is the lighting/exposure. I'd think this might make a great reshoot. Try metering for the grass beyond the fence...the portion that is blown out. Stop that down 1, step back a bit and fire off the curtain flash. If this doesn't work, play around with the manual setting until you can get the foreground lite w/o leaving the background so hot. I think you can still get the shadow on the dog's face while still holding on to the dramatic lighting.

Good luck.

Baking Day
by Spork99

Comment:
Very charming photo. Conveys a great sense of mood and playfulness, so top honors for that. As far as the technical details. Lighting & framing. You took this at night w/the curtain flash, which you may or may not have been able to help. The shadows are distracting and there isn't enough light on the background to contrast your subject. Also the lack of light does not allow for details to show up on the primary subject and the dough. You did a good job with what you had though.

Framing. You've got negative space to the right of the subject, which was needed to show the cookie dough. This negative space must be balanced to the left as well, and it is not. I am not sure if this was cropped out before or after, but leaving just a little more in would have help me from thinking the hand was almost lost in the shot.

As far as candids go, this is a great shot. Looks like everyone was having a ball.