Impossible shots

This is such a simple concept but it touches you, because the two really look so incredibly similar. There is something about the human condition that often makes us seek partners – and dogs – similar to ourselves in physical appearance. Why? Photographically this image is very straightforward, but the composition works, and above all, the message is clear and has a humanity to it that most of us can relate to. The similarity of the eyes is almost scary, especially because they seem to have the same expression. In this image, the idea is everything. I might have been tempted to polish it up a bit, put that would strip it of its authentic simplicity. Well done!

I love the colour scheme here, but also the concept itself. It's pretty and disturbing at the same time, and it looks like the plum contains brain matter. The execution of the zip is good, but the 'matter' inside needs a better cutout and it needs some work in order to make it part of the image. Technical and visual believability is necessary for this image to truly reach its potential. I like the balanced symmetry, leading you straight into the image, and it's a series that can be taken further, perhaps with a twist of wit and irony.

I like the colours and the mood here, and the main figure and the ferns work really well. Photoshop is responsible for a multitude of sins and one of them is blurring. Despite an array of options it can be hard to get any kind of photo-realistic blur in Photoshop, unless you know exactly how you want it and how to do it. This image would have benefited from a more selective (non-motion) blur, giving a perspective into the forest, and the umbrella could benefit from drops and highlights of rain. A good deal of work has gone into the image, so it's worth the 'remix' to go the extra mile.

This reminds me of some tessellated images I used to do of frost and snow, but this flipped image is more complicated than that. And although it appears as an abstract image, there is something moving about the antler shape, and it's apt that it's inspired by a poem. There are lots of layers and depth. Symmetry is an amazingly strong force and when it's used like this it demands absoluteness. You've also used a powerful red, and I think you've achieved both the ethereal and the brutal in this image!

I just like the style of this shot - it has something really street-groovy and simple about it. Very London. The hipstamatic tonality and colour suit the format. I like that the symmetry is broken up by the overlay in the feet. When flipping an image like this, it's definitely worth the bother of retouching out background artifacts that create a mirroring pattern, as it will improve the image and then appear less distracting. Two non-identical figures/poses against the same background could also be used. This is an idea to develop further.

There’s definitely a lot of dedication put into this image, and it would have been nice to see a couple more from this series. The scene has a moody quality to it, and the lighting works for the image. The shape of the floating girl is great, and the cutout works. What doesn't work in my view is the picture on the wall, but since it's a montage, you could maybe remove it? I feel that you need to explain the portrait on the wall, but without this distraction it's an image that can truly stand on its own. Maybe lift her even a touch higher?

A technically good image - very sharp, crunchy and of a certain 'Dave Hill’ style. It’s a commendable effort in that respect. However, I was curious to see if there was more information about it, but none was supplied. Sometimes images do need words to help the viewer get the connotation. What was the idea behind it? How do I respond to it? It makes me think of a cropped mug shot, but of course it's not, it's a man revealing an empty inner behind a wooden fence-like structure. Nicely done, good quality, but the story is not clear to me.

The Aurora Borealis is elusive and hard to capture. I should know, as I come from Tromsø, Norway, which is the best place to see it! It takes patience, warm clothes, and a sturdy tripod. If the lights appear in the wrong part of the sky, you might find that you haven't got the background you hoped. However, if you comp it into another background you have to pay attention to the reflection on the snow. Some of the green colour from the Aurora needs to illuminate the mountain tops – now there's your digital challenge!

Photomontage, Dada and surrealism go hand in hand, and this image pays homage to that. Salvador Dali is a great starting point for further exploration of that. Dali's 'La persistència de la memòria' is one of the most ‘homaged’ paintings ever. You’ve achieved a nice perspective but the sky transition needs some work! When doing a study or homage of an artist, do as artists do: Try it again, and again and again, in countless 'studies' until you end up with something that's your very own.

I find this image somewhat intriguing for two reasons: firstly because it's a NY style architectural scene and that's something that resonates with me – it makes me think of Fritz Lang’s ‘Metropolis’, Paul Citroen's montages and even some of my own work. I like the lines and perspective here. The other reason is that it confused me, and I couldn't work out quite what was what. To some extent, that can be good in an image. You hold the attention of the viewer a bit longer. But I found it slightly too hard work, and perhaps the image needs a real focal point that the viewer can engage with.

Curiously there were two different images with what seems to be an anti-smoking message in this contest. This one sends out a pretty clear signal and gets straight to the point. It puts me in the mind of my late colleague Mark Beckelman, who had some very effective montages in this style. This image could be taken further with a bit more refinement, perhaps making a transition from the ash to the fingers more pale and desaturated (like a cigarette) to contrast with tar yellow fingers! I'd prefer a bit more space, and perhaps some ash on the 'floor' too.