So I've FINALLY come up with the results on the Annabel Lee contest. My goodness it was hard. I had my mind set then the last moment I got an entry that I had to rethink it all over again.

So without further adieu.....

1st Place
[link] by: ~Luna-8
This entry depicted every aspect of the poem with great transitions without making it feel too overwhelmingly full. This piece to me showed great effort and a beautiful concept.

2nd Place
[link] by: *mari-na
This piece was BEAUTIFULLY executed. I LOVE the quality and the overall feel really [to me] felt like the dreamy aspect of longing and beauty tortured into a state of unreachable captivity which here is death. It was so well done I couldn't keep my eyes off it.

3rd Place
[link] by: =snow-valkyrie
This entry was beautifully thought out and I feel the challenge of it all through the presentation. I can tell this person really took their time and thought this out well.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

I will be contacting your "prize givers" shortly. (within the next few days [about a week] hopefully)

So right now the Annabel Lee contest's submissions are currently being reviewed. There is currently a couple delaying the process since there really is a tie. The final winners will however be announced hopefully within the next few days.

So everyone knows this contest is PRIMARILY about the CONCEPT, depiction, and effort to give a visual output in accuracy to the writing. So the winner will NOT NECESSARILY be such a well done piece when it comes to the quality and expertise of making a photo-manipulation. That is definitely not the first thing I'm looking for in this contest. This contest is partly meant to help encourage future great artists to get a shot at testing their capabilities by really putting out their imagination to portray an already famous masterpiece. It's to challenge yourself and really get you to output your best efforts. I believe what makes a great artist great is their ability to really input emotion COMBINED with realistically. Now passion and emotion come before quality in my personal opinion in the process of becoming a great artist.

With that said, I wish you all great luck!!!

I'd also like to leave you all with the note that many have asked me and left this group because they feel that their submissions are never admitted for lack of quality. While this is so true since we reject so many of our submissions, they ask us why then are they admitted into this group in which they're art is not accepted in? The answer to that comes in forms such as this contest. Being in this group as a "member" is to be able to receive updates about our contests where ANYONE is welcome to try and have a shot at it & to keep trying when they feel their skills in photo-manipulating have improved to submit and see if they have a submission worthy of the group's criteria. I hope you all understand the group's aim in this very brief explanation. We don't mean any "put-downs" by rejecting submissions. We only wish you to keep on practicing your passion and to continue trying. Also, please do note that art itself is extremely subjective. What may seem great to you may not to someone else and vise-versa.

Thank you all for your wonderful work, understanding, spirit, passion, and enthusiasm.