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One "intellectual" interpretation of the photo just occurred to me. It may suggest something exactly in line with the photographer's intent, or it may just be something else that is also, coincidentally, suggested by the picture elements.

These little Mexican relatives of the Tiger Salimander are known for their apparently transitory fish-like and air- breathing-frog-like state. They cannot survive breathing air out of water, although their mammal like quality suggests this is where they may wish to be. On the other hand, the girl, who is confiding her hair to the water medium, is aware that her connection to the water can only be transient or partial. She is of the world of clouds and sky, as illustrated, and of an oxygen and nitrogen atmosphere, and she can only dream of being fully in the water world. She appears to me to be dreaming of something.

A simple story, but one which makes the image more appealing to me.

interesting thought Arthur. She does look like she’s eavesdropping on something outside of her awareness but something she wants to take part in…her expression isn’t fear but one of curiosity and interest…

Arthur, I appreciated your framework for image critique. It made me realize in a very clear way how differently we approach photographs. Your framework strikes me as much more appropriate to visual art in general than to photography in particular. That is perhaps appropriate for this piece of "digital art" (the artists description). I have always felt that photographic considerations should be primary in any critique of a photograph. They appear last in your framework and only in the secondary sense of how the photographic medium was used to achieve the artistic objective - please correct me if I'm mistaken here. Since this DAOW (Digital Art of the week) might as well be a painting to me, photographic critiques seem besides the point. That's why I'm not going to give one. JJ.

Well, all I was trying to say is that sometimes we don't 'like" an image but that doesn't mean it is "bad" or unsuccessful. We just can't form a connection with it from where we currently stand. That doesn't mean the image isn't worth pursuing further, but that is an individual call and we can't do that in every case.

Sometimes we just find that our lack of connection with an image is personal and subjective and sometimes it is also for more objective reasons.

David, I guess it is just one possible interpretation among many, and witness to the fact that a photographic work, like painting or other art forms, can mean different things to different viewers.

Jeremy, I guess I listed the four parameters with technical qualities last, but I mean no particular order as each can have varied weights according to the varying subject matter. I do equate photography with art, in the sense that the works of each seem to me to have the same objective of communicating something to the senses and mind of the viewer.

I love the "fish" and the under water half. As for the rest of it? Bleh. The horizontal placement of the model wrecks it for me. If she was floating on her back, it might be a different story, but the model facing the camera while floating looks phony. It's a fantasy image, though, not (in my opinion) a real photograph. So who cares?

Chinese carp detritus in her hair. Not appealing to me at all.

--Lannie

And if you take a look at the model's expression, you see something's missing. She's neither amused, dreamy, superior, haughty, or anything else (whereas the models in Elena's other pictures do have some sort of identifiable expression). Simply a non-expression expression.

This one, Say "Yes"!, is a picture that I like tremendously. Unlike the POW, I don't feel the need to pick it apart. For some reason, it just works:

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=14433035

Hot to construct an art work with the help of photography!I admire the intelligence and the marked sense of art of the photographer,but i'm sorry i don't like this photo....

It looks like a student project at first sight to me; random objects put together in Photoshop. It's a bit more though, it has created some 'atmosphere'. But then nothing more
Before landing on this image, I saw a "surreal" picture of 3 overweight women, dressed in the style of ancient Greece, shooting the breeze, standing on a flat mosaic limitless surface with a giant statute in the back and sky scrapers and a TV set right there in the middle. It was titled 'Graces'.
My reaction is the same: What am I looking at?
I admit this one is at least more interesting to look at. But then after 10 seconds of 'exploration' all I'm left with is an image I struggle to understand and a tendency to relate my failure with some emotional sensation that (young) females get from lending their hair to forces of wind, water, ... but I don't. And the click of a mouse to save me from this page.
*update*
I do see her listening to the submerged underworld. But still I find it an 'incomplete story'

When I peruse Elena's gallery, I see the work of a very talented illustrator who uses photographs in her work. Like many talented artists, the work is very personal and requires a degree of thought as to its meaning, if the viewer cares enough. Obviously, if the viewer isn't captivated on some level, it's his/her choice to walk on to the next image. That's the way I feel about this image. I spent some time looking at it, tried to think what was driving the "concept," couldn't make heads nor tails (pardon the pun) of it, and gave up. I find it awkward to look at, the girl's position hurts my neck, and I don't see (should I say appreciate?) the idea behind it. I'm a perfect illustration of what I just wrote! I don't really care, but I see skill in the montage.

I know, that a lot of people has problems with photos like that. It is a fantastic surreal work. The interpretation of such works can be very different.

For me it is an interpretation of the evolution-theory. I can see the work as the way out of the water to the earth. It is the perfect representation how the evolution worked. Every life cames out of the water. We found in Darwins theory the ladder of one-cell-ling-being over fishes (but Elena don´t show fishes, she show a former form of life, I don´t know the name in english) to amphibies, reptiles, birds, and last not least the human species as an example for mammals.
The connection from the water-life to the humon species is the hair, who swim in water und the rest is on earth.

Sorry for my very poor english, hope I can tell you my thoughts about your work. For me it is a master-piece of surreal art.

Christine

Very interesting composition, struck me as a bit Pre-Raphaelite at first sight.

previously i dismissed the image as pointless.. now, after reading Christine's (a surrealist who fascinates me no end) suggestions, i'll indulge in an interpretation of Ms Pencheva's intent that might equal my admiration for her skill.
Perhaps the amphibians, with lungs and boney limbs to adapt to life on land, participate in a romantic metaphor. perhaps because of the commonly understood reference to sexuality of a woman's hair, she is fishing for a toad to turn into a prince. ;-} dp

Perhaps it's because I'm a biologist firmly rooted in principles of evolution that I'm unable to let my limited imagination wander far enough to come up with my own story for Elena's creation. I see an unusual assemblage of elements, and they just don't come together for me in any meaningful way. All week I've been wondering if Elena meant to assemble a whimsical creation or if, instead, she had something more specific in mind when she selected these particular elements and arranged them in this particular way. I'd love to know. Even then, I suppose, I'd be filtering her response through my own set of ways of knowing the world, but at least I'd know, at least I'd understand her better.

I avoided so far most of the other comments. Or seeing this as in some gallery of Elena's other workmaship. I prefer at first a singular look and a reaction of feeling about a POW choice for discussion.
OK, strikes me,off the bat for now, as a pretty successful photo illustration with which to accompany something else. I am thinking something herein to sell me something else. Which is not demeaning vaue. A valid photo objective... But not obvious by itself here.
Would even grab my attention as a musical album cover in a page of album DVD covers or bookcovers on an Amazon or NYT display of new book covers. (Perhaps with some bold white script overlay on the left side w/ the name of the singer or the name of the new collection of music or the memoir on the best seller list. It makes one want to "look inside" and that is what I see as this image's merit. Not a dig at all -to do that kind of thing well.. If that were intent it would deserve a strong plus on the reasonably imaginative side. Artistic would be too strong though. Original,well perhaps so.. The color tint choice stands out . It projects the requisite mystery to be the cover of a of mystery book I mean. image. I give it B+ for and illustration of something. (Note also the square format is perfect one for a music album or a book cover with script or lettering. Even a movie ad.
Now for the BUT part, ah I have to say re by Elena- As a stand alone POW, I don't get a real message conveyed in itself. Or see beauty of form. Or something which touches the heart. Which I am usually patrolling for among other sentiments.