simon, thanks so much for showing me and telling me what you did!!! i will have to look at this again tomorrow night. i worked uh...like 8 am - almost 11 pm today. i look at your what you did with my image, and well...i don't see ANY difference. you talked about erasing blur over padlock. i don't see any blur on my image. and i can't tell that you made any changes to to it. I guess my eyes are what has blur on it!!!! LOL. anyway, i'll look again tomorrow night when i'm not so exhausted!!! thanks so much for taking the time to do this!!! and i'm glad you like it!!! misha, why do i think it's bad technically? well, it doesn't follow rule of thirds. but not everything needs to i know. i'm rule breaker. secondly, the padlock is cut off on top and right. as michelle said, compo is bit tight on right. DOF sucks. why do i like it? why can't i get this image out of my mind? artist expression stuff. i like that padlock is partially cut off. LOL. technically, i think it would be better shown in its entirety. but i like that it's cut off because I feel cut off. this injury has left me feeling cut off from the world. i can't go outside much because i can't wear coat. so i can't stay out long to photograph. i feel cut off from artistic expression because i can't take photos. i've also been missing kemal a lot since i broke my elbow because i've had to switch to first shift...and he works 2nd shift. i miss him!!!! etc. that metal dangly thing...it reminds me of my stupid arm sticking out. it looks like arm!! see the elbow? (the sharp corner on left) and then the hand goes up (foreground)...just like mine which is elevated upward in the sling. ah...and the lock itself...well that would represent me. now you might wonder why i say this. i seem like open person. and i am. but i have a lot of secrets that i've kept under lock and key. and the rust...represents me again. my joints are rusty. i have arthritis. and the lock shows age. well, i'm 41. i'm verrrrrrry aware that i'm aging. anyway, there's a LOT more to this. TONS more why this image is so special to me. this is just beginning. almost all my images i post tell a story. they express something inside of me. or i convey a thought or idea with my photos. so, i guess you see why i like it!!! william, yes you are so right...rule of 3rds is general rule for compo, even book says sometimes you gotta break the rules. michelle, thanks so much for what you said. i'm glad you like it and think the compo is not so bad like what i thought!!! You guys, THANK YOU!!!!!! i won't get rid of this after all then!!!!!! i smiling!!! i just REALLY wanted to keep this!!! and now i will!!! Huge hugz, guys!!! sheila