The colour one for me!

Very well put, Don. Your last sentence hits the nail on the head for me.

No probs, beginner. I understand your point of view. My thinking was that people sometimes want a nice portrait of themselves in which they look ever so slightly better than they do in real life. Well, if that's what they want, I'll do what I can to supply them with one.

BTW, this second portrait is great. Wonderful wide and radiant laugh!

Give it a few years and she'll have lost all those nasty pimples and turned into a beautiful young woman:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/jamie_gr/fotoos/IMGP69421.jpg

(Hope you don't mind, beginner. If you do, let me know please and I'll remove the picture).

Funnily enough I prefer the first one. You can still read the names from left to right, can't you? I don't think the DOF is too narrow either as the first 2/3 characters are still clear enough to be distinguished. The blurred part on the left for me just emphasizes how many more victims there were. I also like it that the first picture is - in a way - repeated in the second one.

Beautfully done, Kris and very impressive.

I quite like it, Katie and I think it wouldn't be as good without that bright yellow daffodil. The only thing I don't like is the glass and the way you've cut the bottom off. It needs something more stylish/elegant. Maybe a portrait orientation and a real nice vase (displayed in full) would help? Otherwise great colours and DOF.

Stefan has replied to my PM and I'm afraid he's not going to come back. When I asked him what to tell you he said:

I've also asked him about the competition, but he said he wouldn't come back for that either. He has deleted the Photobucket accounts he'd set up for the competition and in doing so also the pictures (so nobody needs to worry about copyrights, he added).

I'm really sorry about it all, especially for the people who had submitted pictures, but he sounds pretty determined. He also seemed to think that most of you would understand why he's left.

Great title (and picture of course).

You're right, Gwyn, I am. I've sent Stefan a PM there. If/when I hear from him, I'll let you know.

Congrats, Unlocker! You were after all the one who asked for first refusal, so if you like it, it's only fair that it ends up with you. I hope you'll be able to get it fixed at a reasonable price. Anyway ... great buy, enjoy and don't forget to show us some pics every now and then!