Sig1 (square, not rectangle): 7/10 = 700K
I chose to grade the larger square submission as I believe the lighting and text better enhance the image. While i understand that the smaller rectangle is a cut from the middle, the light range isn't as wide, so it appears a little flatter. In the larger image, this isn;t an issue, and the light spans the spectrum wonderfully. two easy improvements would be to the positioning, in that the bottom ice looks really dark (its natural to see a player's legs fade to dark, but the dark ice looks accidental). The highlight white (the stick) looks good, as does the added flare, but the two dont work together. if you cropped the top down to the stick's tape and then added the flare the lighting would look more natural. The text fits in form and color and really adds to the composition. A logo/jersey swap could really elevate this if you're looking to try more ambitious work.
Julio Tokolosh
