Total judging points: 28
Judge's Comments:
1. Wow! Color me red! This is an exceptional study in color and texture. The composition is somewhat static, but the impact of this image is, as stated, exceptional. This image made this judge ask, "Why did this image have so much impact on me?" The weakness is a static composition, but the focus is tack-sharp and the color/exposure makes this image pop. Perhaps another aspect of the impact is the viewing of images dominated by browns, yellows, oranges, blues, greens, and other fall colors, makes this dominant red image psychologically stand out. Nevertheless, impact is impact. Congratulations to whoever captured this image! You did an exceptional job.
2. This is an artful piece that shows strong technical expertise. The focus is sharp and well-distributed across a relatively flat plan of focus. The photographer has chosen an appealing distribution of the leaves. But what holds back my score on this image is that the colors seem a bit too “hot” for my taste, as if the saturation has been cranked up beyond how I would expect these colors to appear in real life. I think this image would still be great, and perhaps even more appealing, if the colors were a bit less strong.