free will, you have it, use it
by neilmwilson

Comment:
Love the concept, but the sand as a backdrop lessens the appeal. Maybe if you could have shot from below the wheels towards a bright blue sky...? Also, the middle wheel should not be cropped off at the bottom of the stick.

Water Wheel (Old Red Mill)
by laser

Comment:
All in all a nice photo, but for this challenge, you might have found a way to make the wheel more of the focal point. It is dark and overshadowed by the size and color of the building. Maybe a different time of day or a sunnier day where the sun highlights it better?

Robin on the branch
by pitsaman

Comment:
I'm sure you'll get a lot of this, but had this little birdie been turned around, it would have been PERFECT!

Brain Child
by crabappl3

Comment:
I gave this a 9 without even realizing who it was in the picture (which would have told me who the photographer was)! I love this shot and I think the graininess adds a wonderful mood to it. Very interesting effect. It makes it look almost like a graphite pencil drawing. I admire you for taking the chance and submitting something a little more artistic even though it apparently cost you in points. I wouldn't change a thing (except maybe the title--not one of your best. ;-) ).

polar plunge
by Seanachai

Comment:
I dont' know how you'll do in the challenge, but this is a fantastic shot. I love it!

waiting to let go....
by theodor38

Comment:
I keep coming back to this shot. I don't know exactly why. There's just something about it that makes me want to take another look. It is such an interesting photo. The sepia and graininess really work here and I like that light shining so brightly in the distance. I think what really makes this shot outstanding though is the straightness of the tire tracks in the snow and the fact that your model (you?) walked to your chair keeping as much on those tracks as is humanly possible, trying hard not to disrupt those clean lines. Additionally, the dark sky against the white ground is an interesting change of perspective since one usually sees the sky as brighter than the ground. Adding the suitcase was the perfect touch. I originally gave you an 8, but I'm bumping this up to a 10 just because it works on so many levels for me. Good luck.

Let Go and Regretting
by Russell2566

Comment:
The interesting thing about this photo (beyond the technical success) is the untold story left for the imagination to figure out. What was let go? Why is there regret? Is this the hand that let something go or is it the one that was released? Technically, the shot is beautiful. The radiant lighting, the center placement of the hand, the deep shadow of the thumb contrasting the almost washed-out look of the top of the hand, all very appealing to this viewer. The more I look at it, the more I like it. A 9.

The Old Self - Rom. 6:6
by SirBiggsALot

Comment:
This is one of my favorites of the challenge. I like the mistiness of the "ghost" as well as his pose, looking down upon his old self. Cropping the lying down body as you did makes the image in the shadows the focal point. This is done quite nicely. I also like the radient lighting from the dark shadow on the right side of the photo to the lighter area on the left.

The Letting Go of Body & Mind
by shayfoley

Comment:
I like this a lot...except for the candles which I realize are important to the mood but their brightness is somewhat distracting since the eye keeps wanting to wander down there instead of on your focal point. Maybe red candles...? Anyway, what I do like is the man's pose, the halo affect of the lighting behind him, the red tones and the theme interpretation. I gave you an 8

Yo!
by dsa157

Comment:
Great idea for the challenge but I think it would work better if the hand were more in focus and I don't really care for the off-white background color. A little tweaking and this might have been one of the better submissions, since the framing and composition are good and the timing of the capture is right on.