The 4 back columns look like they are hanging over the pools edge.... I would just make them a bit smaller, it will also had depth to the image

much better, good luck

Nice idea with shadow and subject. Perhaps lower her left shoulder a bit and make it less 'broad' looking. This might help the overall look.

sweet photo and good quality, I suggest that for this contest you crop it a little tighter, you will also have to loose the date.

Great ps work

Love the changes.. If you look at the base of your NEW coloms you will see that they do not connect to your floor. To fix this add shadowing.

:look where your light comes from, use your BURN tool to add shadow. IF you want more information on how to do this Message me.

GOOD LUCK .

Well commented MossyB. This is a good entry Author. However, i agree with MossyB. Please take the feedback as a way to improve and advance your entry and artistic skills.

I hope that you get the time to make adjustments to your entry.

Really........... beautiful it is...........

The filter used on the columns is very fake looking, because it is too flat and does not change in perspective as it recedes into the horizon line.

Also, the pool you used is at a different angle than the contest source, which makes the lines look extremely crooked, and the pool then appears to be tilting.

The statue is too large in proportion to the pool, and the lighting is not consistent with the rest of the image.

This is a really good concept, but it looks very rushed, without enough attention to detail...

The angle of the shoulder is wonky in relation to her head, and her face is too bright for the light source behind her (notice the shadow is in front of her face...)

Your source link does not work.

Cute, but it would have been nicer if their feet were in the shot too. Good luck!

sweet snapshot.

To much conflicted light sources and this is very very hard to maintain. Idea is very nice but i don't see how is possible with this sources to achieve 100% realistic image...i would like to give u some good advice but maybe u could try to find some sources with kids with similar lighting...any how best of luck

Don't worry author, i'm in the same boat, shadows are hard to figure out! GL

Author, you chose one of the most difficult images to create shadows for... especially when you use photos from a source site where each picture is taken by a different individual, in a different frame of light at all different exposures and facings..(You did a very excellent job blending in the water in the back ground..

you also need to understand that a child sitting on a swing would be the WHOLE shadow and the shadow from the swing itself would blend into the child's shadow as well.. (gaussian blur works great to get rid of the sharp edges and you have much more control over a duplicated darken copy of an image then you do over a global light drop shadow) (sometimes cloning out all the shadows at the beginning is a big help, (also dodging all the shadows of your subjects can give you a blank slate to work with) but there will always be strange angles of light (especially when there is water (light reflector) clouds (light benders and shadow casters on their own right) even the brightness of clothing can cause shadows to go wonky..

There are several tutorials you can follow to hone your skills, but I commend you for this attempt, and always remember we all start somewhere .. now I'm off like a prom dress.. GOOD LUCK!!!

i agree with the above comments! light and shadows are not good. try to fix that and then you might get high score!

The shadow of the swing doesn't match any of the shadows you've added...Two very different light directions. The kids are all different illumination (brightness) levels, too. The woman in the back is way too dark for being in the sun, especially compared to the "brighter" children...

good effort, but check your shadows............ they are all over the show

Photo of boy is copyrighted. Please read http://www.pxleyes.com/blog/2009/06/how-and-where-to-find-legal-source-images/

Much better! My only nitpick is the light on the head is opposite the light on the biker image. Maybe you could get it to match if you flipped the head. GL author.

Sources are from blogs and not usable. Please read http://www.pxleyes.com/blog/2009/06/how-and-where-to-find-legal-source-images/
You have plenty of time to find legal sources & resubmit. GL.