All images copyright by the individual photographers

	Flowers and People By Bob Crumrine In “Flowers and People,” Bob Crumrine captures a colorful slice of life in Guanajuato, Mexico. The vibrant flowers lining the balcony provide an immediate focal point, drawing the eye into a scene where architectural, color and human activity coexist in a natural and engaging way. The photo succeeds because it’s more than a study of buildings. The figure crossing the plaza and the decorations adorning the balcony introduce a human presence that reflects the daily life and spirit of the community. The photograph is rich with visual layers. The pastel buildings and historic details reflect the city’s cultural heritage, while the people bring a sense of life. The flowers serve as a bridge between the built environment and the human spirit, adding warmth and celebration to the scene. As I looked carefully at the photo, I wondered who tends the flowers that brighten the historic street and how many lives have passed beneath these balconies over the years? The photo invites viewers to think beyond the architecture and imagine the human stories hidden within the scene. Congratulations, Bob, on your Gallery Pick. By Marie Costanza
	Surface Tension Amy Palermo Amy’s photograph works as an abstract photograph, and its strength comes from the fact that it initially resists easy interpretation. The viewer gradually realizes they’re looking at reflections in water rather than a distorted building. The rippled water transforms ordinary architectural elements into painterly shapes. Vertical bands of white, green, black, and blue create a composition that feels closer to an abstract painting than a documentary photograph. The cool greens and blues contrast nicely with the bright white reflections. Deep blacks provide visual weight and help anchor the frame. The water’s surface creates rhythmic wave patterns that carry the eye through the image and the repeated distortions add energy without feeling chaotic. Large white reflected structures on the left balances the darker mass on the right. The bright blue area in the lower-right corner acts as a secondary focal point. Amy’s image succeeds most as an abstract study of reflection, color, and movement. Viewers are invited to spend time deciphering what they’re seeing, and the transformation of a mundane scene into something painterly is its greatest achievement. The image is visually engaging and thoughtfully seen. The abstraction and texture are compelling. By Don Menges
	Portal by Michael Shoemaker Portal is a quietly arresting photograph that turns corrosion into narrative. The close-up framing transforms a rusted metal surface into an abstract stage, where texture, light, and a single circular void command attention. The image reads like a fragment of a larger story, inviting the viewer to linger. The work celebrates found material as subject rather than backdrop. By isolating a corroded rim and the flaking layers around it, the photographer makes the material itself the feature. The clever selection of this particular segment—cropped tightly so that edges and textures become compositional elements—creates a dynamic interplay of line, curve, and negative space that feels both accidental and meticulously chosen. Red functions here as both pigment and signal. The warm, oxidized reds and oranges heighten the tactile quality of the surface and draw the eye toward the circular opening. Rather than overwhelming, the color anchors the composition, providing emotional warmth and a sense of urgency that contrasts with the stillness of the corroded metal. The photographed object remains mysterious, and that mystery is central to the piece’s power. Because the subject resists easy identification, the viewer is compelled to invent context—industrial relic, relic of a machine, or an imagined threshold. That uncertainty deepens engagement and makes the image feel like a visual riddle. Viewers may read the work in many ways: a literal portal, a wound in time, a memory of industry, or a metaphor for passage and transformation. No single interpretation is privileged, and that openness is the photograph’s strength. The title PORTAL nudges the imagination toward passage and transition while leaving room for personal projection. This photograph succeeds by turning the ordinary into the enigmatic. Through selective framing, textured detail, and a bold use of red, it transforms rust into resonance and invites repeated looking. The result is a small, potent image that feels both tactile and metaphysical. By Steve Levinson
	Fireworks By d dargan teska Congratulations to d dargan teska, whose photo “Fireworks,” received a Gallery Pick. In Debbie’s display of intimate dandelion photos, she transforms a familiar subject into something almost celestial. Delicate seeds and filaments become radiant bursts of light, echoing the fleeting beauty of fireworks suspended in midair. Through selective focus, soft color palettes and an eye for elegant line and form, Debbie’s display illustrates a part of a common dandelion that is often overlooked. Her photo, “Fireworks,” is particularly compelling for its sense of movement and energy. The curving seed stems sweep across the frame like trails of light, while the glowing yellows, greens and silvery whites create a dreamy atmosphere. Together Debbie’s four images celebrate both the fragility and resilience of nature, revealing the hidden beauty within a common weed. She reminds us that wonder is often found not only in grand landscapes, but in the smallest details waiting to be seen. By Marie Costanza