I have to agree with the others. This is such a good B&W photo with a focal point on the man that choosing to add color to the flowers at the edge of the photo takes me away from what I should be seeing. Your B&W tones are very good, with a nice range from deep black to pure white.

I must join the crowd and comment that the selective saturation seems pointless.

If it took you 4 hours instead of 10 minutes to do the selective saturation, would you still do it? If so, I'd love to learn why.

Everything else about this photo is wonderful. The tonality is outstanding. The reflection in the window really adds depth.

Okay, I am bruised and battered over the selective saturation :) Just kidding! I am glad that I got such a response on this. Truth is, I did not know where to put this photo as far as Topics go, so I added the color to the flowers in order to post it. Also, I have suggested a b/w topic for ANY black and white photos because currently there is only a topic on b/w flowers. Thank you all for your input, I really appreciate it.

Oh, I love this photo so much that I really want to see what it would look like with the selective saturation at all the leaves at his feet. I know it would take ages, but I want to see it so badly that if you send me the image, I'll do it for you...

Please???

Hey girlfriend, I't's been good to hear from you today. The truth is, I really am very new to all of this and I can only play with it so much because I don't quite understand most of it, yet.. and the way that I currently have to fix or edit photos is with a free online sight.

I would be glad to send the photo to you so you can have fun with it, but I will have to wait until after work because it is on my computer at home.

I absolutley LOVE taking photos! Of everything, LOL! I have found my love :) Problem is, I have a little dinky camera, but soon that is going to change because my husband is going to get me a REAL camera soon. I will definatley let you know when that happens and maybe you can help me get through the tough stages of learning how to do things with it. I'm excited!

Hope to hear from you soon..Also, I will e-mail you the photo tonight.

First, composition: I would crop just below his right hand holding the flowers and just a little tighter above his head. I believe this would really draw you to his face more.
Second, B&W/sepia vs. color: before I looked at you link, I really liked the conversion for this image, but... The colors in the medals and the flowers are great and may be a compelling reason to work up a nice color version to compare...
Either way try the cropping change and see if you like it

Wonderful shot.
I could tell by the medals that this man has served his country and done so well.
This is a very compelling image with the flowers adding a bit of question of why.
After reading your comment, my conclusions are correct!

Im sure this man has thousands of stories he could tell. Great capture

very moving shot, so much emotion.. it's like he is dreaming away.. thinking of the past.. bad moments but also good ones..

like it very much :)

btw.. how are you doing my friend?

mizztech: far too busy... :) I find all my evenings spent on my computer in PS these days and I get nothing done. How are you?

dreamer: thanks!!!! I'm honoured!

beamer: You're right. Looking back at the photo now, I see what you mean about the flowers and the medals. I needed a fresh perspective on this. Selective saturation maybe?

oh, I love here, she (or he) is such a beauty..
the only critic I've got is that I think the picture isn't sharp enough.. part from that, I like the soft colours and compo.. maybe a little more contrast will suet to..

What incredible coloring he/she has. I'd love to see a very sharp close up of her face.

cool pic

oh, I like this very much, went right into my favorits..
the colours, the movement and structures are simply amazing!! so much fine little details.. love it!!

Thank you very much, Holger and Maria!

I love what you've done with this.....my only criticism might be that the top right corner is too dark for the rest of the image. Nicely done though!

Ooh, I really like this as well. Looks like a storm is comin.

like it, the way you treated it gives the image a vintage look..
like the strokes round the image as wel :)
no critics for this one ;)

great! can you tell us what is the post processing, in particular on clouds?

the processing isn't nearly as complex as it looks: convert to quadtone using ken lee's quadtones, a multiply layer for the sky and a bit of the waster, a screen layer for the sail, a high pass layer for the sail, and about 3 patterns layers, set at around 8005 scale, on overlay or multiply blend mode, at around 10 or less opacity.

tadah!

Nice one! Suits the topic in the original way. Reminds me of Chucky though...

a spent some time to figure out what's reflected in the lighter eye, still not sure. is it the contour of a tree and a roof?
this image is in my top3 of this topic.

This is an insane image Kevin. Well doen and congrats on the feature.

I wouldn't want to be left alone with this doll. Neat shot, though!

like this very, very much!!
she looks so real..

Great moment to capture! IMO that blur around the edges is little distracting, could have been little bit more subtle. Good shot !!!

amazing that you captured the moment. I think you could crop in a little tighter at the top. Love this.

Love this photo.. Very elegant. Coodos to you.

Thank you! Well, I'm not quite sure about the blur and the cropping, I guess I'll try some variations.

like it, very dreamy..
would be good in B&W I think?
It's like the swan is aware of you taking the pic :)

I wish you good luck for the contest! The dragonfly might definitely win a prize - wonderful capture!

Contest? OOO what one?
I agree with the cropping, but I absolutely LOVE the moving wings and the capture!! Fantastic!

Hey Amy! You know what I think of this shot already, but I want to add to the comments here. Having the dragonfly in the center gives it the feeling of coming right at you. You better duck before you get hit!! It's an amazing shot - hope you get some recognition for it.

Magnifica y dificil fotografía. No sólo ha sabido capturar el vuelo de este insecto sino que además es como si saliera de la fotografía.La situación de la libélula más hacia el marco superior izquierdo le daría más "aire". Color muy agradable. ¡ Felicidades!

Absolutely amazing capture. I'm jealous! ;-)
There's something so special about dragonflies, and this one is so pretty. I also love the background colors.

this is nice .. the dark wall could have been avoided or cropped

Very nice.
I agree that the wall could have been cropped.
I like the lines that are running across the top that are created by the combination of poles.
Plus you have the railroad which leads you through toward the center of the picture!

Should add this to the complexity theme on WeeklyShot! Nice!

the lines leeds your eyes into the picture, great use of tones, fit perfect for this picture, great compo, for me the wall isn't disturbing..

great picture!!

Busy, busy, busy but no movement. And, while the wall casts a nice shadow, I think I'd have done without it.

Lovely photo.

thank you very much for your comments

Beautiful range of tones and fine composition.

I really like the tones of this shot

thank you very much