oh yes, I would happily buy it under torture....

very nice shot author...best of luck

GREAT Focal point! Nice work

What are YOU looking at! (said my avitar)
Nice detail in the eyes.

great shot!

Great close-up. Any idea what bird this is?

I was a little too busy shooting all the birds in the aviary to pay attention to what all of them were.

So, on this one Jean, no clue.

You, of course!

Look at those red eyes...what a bird! Nice shot

o brother....he looks so pissed...GL author

"a way that they cast a shadow on a wall or curtain resembling something different from the actual items themselves " i am just trying to see the "weirdness"

ah... i have been looking for the "weirdness-meister! next time i will run it by you first. but for now, i am thinking it is a bracelet and doesnt look like a bracelet in the shadow. i was going by the plethora of examples shown in the entries thus-far. btw... since you seem very "rule" conscience you might want to refresh on "3.7: Don't comment on 'administrative' issues of the entry (such as being off-topic for example), but raise a red flag instead." comments such as the one above are a bit put-offish to potential voters that might have a differing opine for the "guidelines".

So...what does it look like author?
Help me here cause all i see is a bracelet!!!
Help me vote HIGH for this entry.

vote as you please. use your own imagination or do not, chances are no matter my reply; all you will ever see is a bracelet... your comments are in no way helpful nor constructive (note rule 3.4: Don't make negative comments without suggestions for improvement. (eg. "THIS SUCKS", "WHAT A MESS", "LOW VOTE FROM ME", ...).) just petty..., however, it is apparent you do not mean them to be of any help. red flag the entry if you find it off theme.

Wow.....happy new year to you too! I was really just curious as to what you saw in the pic and wanted to see it too. That's all. As you wish......voted now (was waiting for your insight). Good luck.

In all fairness, it didn't come across like that to me captgeo, it sounded a bit mean spirited and with this further comment it seems a bit spiteful.

Well if it came across that way I apologize.... I really thought i was missing something and wanted to give the author the benefit of helping me see it. Now that i have voted...I have seen some of the author's other past entries and really like what i saw. Like i said.... just wanted more to go on. The author's attitude after my first inquiry/post set the tone for the rest of the comments. Maybe i should start using smiley faces, hugs etc.

you did not sound curious. you asked no question as a curious one would have done. you made a quote and a statement. the sprinkling of the same basic comment by you throughout this contest would seem to indicate otherwise also.

your comment did not come across (in any of the entries that you made it for) to me with any of the innocence you tout. your followup comment seems to show that i did not read nor take it wrong at all.

LOL.. chill

Next time you want to enter a contest try to "TAKE" a photo for the contests theme.
Don't search you HDD to find a photo that "fits"the contest.
And if you DO...it's better NOT to be a SNAPSHOT.

You want to talk about RULES?????

1.5. Amount of Entries: The max amount of entries is different for each contest. But as a general rule: QUALITY is more important than quantity.

Imagination is good & i would really like to try to see something else author but...it's ONLY a bracelet!!!!

You want a suggestion for improvement????
P R A C T I C E
P R A C T I C E
P R A C T I C E

this is not a snap shot... well, i suppose i "snapped" the shutter... but in the insulting way you mean, it is not a snapshot. ...and no... i dont, (want to talk about rules) i was referencing the quote... and... wow! so you think the shot lacks quality? hm.. duly noted. (kinda ugly of you, but noted...) I will and am and do practice, thank you for that teensy bit of constructiveness in your otherwise insulting post. it would be much better if you said why you believe it to lack quality, or what aspect of it is "snapshot-esque" (that is what is meant by constructive critiquing)

mudslinging is exactly what i expected from you, and you have shown true to form.

bracelet... hm... As I took the image, the young lady had imagination... i had imagination and the judges will have an opportunity to pull it if they deem it lacking... but you just keep trying... not everyone "gets" everything in this world. I can accept the fact that you do not and could not see anything beyond what you want to see.
it is a shame that the child had to see your ... um ... lack of imagination spread across her photo, she really use to be excited that i took and used this image. she cried...

Wow.... i really am sorry I started this whole mess. Sorry she cried.. Please tell her it wasn't her that "we" had the question about. Me personally, I wouldn't have let her read all this, I would have just let her enjoy seeing herself on the screen. (and please don't go off on me about parenting!!)

So...you want us to believe that this is NOT a snap shot?
That you compose this to meet the contest goal?
I think you underestimate our Intelligence author & i really can't figure out WHY?
This is a photo of a little girl on a party or something.
Focus is ENTIRETY on the girls face,not on the shadow or the object.
Flash is harsh & no weird shape comes out clearly.
No one said "THIS SUCKS", "WHAT A MESS", "LOW VOTE FROM ME".You used the rules first to defend your self & now you don't want to talk about rules?
You actually let the child read our comments???
What kind of person are you author.
To satisfy your ego you let the kid read all this???
This is a photography site author...not a playground.

let? the chils, like many others is a member. it is at church, not a party. she wanted to participate. that is one of the reasons i am a bit overly protective about things. her sis is a member too. her mom. several others.

Okay... tried to apologize several times... tried explaining... you know.... if you would have just said....."I felt it looked like ______" all of this would never have happened. Upside to this is you got the category for most comments.

Captgeo, it is all ok. your apology was nice. i have been here for a while and dont usually say much, but this is actually twice that i have gotten het up over things, it has to do with me getting members for the site and then having things like this happen. i really thought (and have been told by the mods) we are not to make those comments... here is the mail i got "If you believe an entry is off theme, then a red flag is better than a comment .... Some users do not take kindly to it, so it is better to avoid doing it." i mistakenly thought it was a rule for all not just some.

as i have been told (and by many here) art is subjective. i am quite sure you understand that by the nature of the beast that something cannot show any shadow but the outline that is blocking the light so it would quite literally have to be a shadow of the object... the contest cleverly said it was to resemble something different, so the word resemble is subjective also. Zoy did not want me to say anything because she is not sure you all would be nice about it. i did not want to say anything due to the tone of the very first comment and those that followed were also barely veiled insults.

Great..... Hugs all around!!!!!

Why did the hugs comment get a minus? I thought all was okay?

Because thumbs up/down should NEVER come to our jurisdiction captgeo...
Mods should handle that.
Now is all about if someone likes what someone wrote on his/hers entry & vice versa!
Pathetic...

wasnt me! all IS ok. been at work all day! (taking pictures!) lol. It has been snowing here and looks like it will be for DAYS... may not be able to get back on till it stops. internet is weather dependent here!

I agree with the "Flazz" about the snapshot and I can see where Captgeo is coming from as far as weirdness. But seriously Flazz, you can come off as a serious arse and a half with comments like that.

I will admit The "Flazz" made some great points in improvement but poorly pointed it out. Amazing how someone can get so worked up about one entry.

With all due respect, but , IMHO, this pict. is way out of theme. Though, from what I can see here, up to now, it has garnered the most votes . OK, no skin off my nose, but still, what's weird, is weird, and I am not talking about the image itself either.. Voting-wise, maybe it is high time to ask for some backing from my friends and relatives..

May be i don't have the "talent" jaws to wright "nice" comments like you & this is not my intention.I stay to the point on photography & that only.If i point out my opinion right or wrong is not yours to judge...

Love this! Perfect capture of Children and Puddles! They just go together

Very nice capture, but would have liked it if the cropping didn't center her so much

I agree with athousandwords! Great catch ...how long did you wait to get it?

She was just outside playing that day after a rain. I was snapping pictures of her. Since I am new to the photography world, it was just a lucky shot. I thank you all for the wonderful comments.

adorable!

Pretty darn good for a newbie to photography! Sixth place is super!!!

Thank you for all the comments. It feels good to get 6th place with all the talent on here.