I am honored to have placed in your contest! The 1st place submission is fantastic. Capturing the essence of youth in the child's eyes of wonder really warms the heart. The foreground being entirely out of focus leaves the audience to interpret what the child is holding. It, to me, shows that it doesn't really matter. Children approach all things with infinite curiosity.

With regards to your feedback on my photos: thank you for your kind words. Looking now at the photo of @aschristyseesit, I see what you are saying about the crop. I went in for the tight crop and slightly overshot the cut. I went back and looked at the photo, and after playing with it, couldn't come up with a better tight crop. But, in revisiting my photo, I realized that perhaps the best crop is the original. I agree with the slight greying in the reflection. As this shot was totally candid, I think I got pretty lucky in my framing.

It might be fun to recreate old favorites under optimal conditions and see what results we get!

Oh, and also props to you for your in-depth judging. I gained insight in your technical breakdown. Thank you.

I'm really looking forward to next month's contest.

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