I'm not sure if I like this or not. 'Alone' is a very human emotion for me, and much as the stick is alone, it doesn't evoke the emotion in me. The image is pretty well executed though.

Took me awhile to figure out that was a hockey stick. Perhaps a different angle--something with a wider lens and the stick more central would be more effective?

Read your comments in the Google group and came here to look at the image. I don't see the sense of- isolation, abandonment, things that have been left behind, people
without ties, meditation, silence...

Ok a hockey stick was left behind or abandoned on the ice but it doesn't really have any impact and the content isn't presented from a viewpoint that would. When looking at this image I say to myself- what is this image saying and to me it doesn't speak very loudly. Hope this helps.

Ana, I felt compelled to respond based on your post to the google group. While I would give this image a 4 for relevance I find the image itself to lack visual interest, and it took me a moment to figure out what I was looking at. Perhaps if the ball had been closer to the stick and in the foreground with the barren background behind, it might have held more of my interest but otherwise I find it to be a rather uninspiring image, sorry.

Ok for responding to your request but I cannot comment without rating (unless there's a way to do so, but I'm not aware of it...).
So, even if we don't agree on some topics (like how to rate repostings hehehe...), here's my comment, as honest as possible (I also want you to know that I'm ALWAYS as honest as possible in my ratings and comments): I think the problem in this image is not technique or relevance, it's the lack of impact. Besides, I can't see exactly what this thing is. I'm not sure it was possible to get closer to the object, but a close up would probably have been more effective... The monochrome could add to the image, but the touch of yellow is not big enough. What was working on your "balloon on the water" doesn't work here. I could go on like this... Do you understand we cannot make a detailed comment on every post? Maybe some people have nothing else to do but, as far as I'm concerned, I already spend too much time on WS...
Here are my ratings: 31344
Some other time, I can explain you in detail how I vote, if you wish...

Ana, further to your comment in the group-thread, I actually was struck by this shot when I first saw it (but didn't rate it as I was rushing off somewhere). It seemed to me not only to speak of abandonment of the object itself, but also of the possiblity of someone being very very alone under the ice! (I took the object to be a cane when I first saw it, though looking at it more closely now, I am not so sure what it is). So, I would have given it high marks on the relevance and impact criteria.

...checking out the comments, as requested. Have to leave a rating a guess, but you said you don't want any ratings, so I'll be neutral and give you straight 3's.

I saw your thread in Google Groups, and I wanted to comment here so that I could read the other people comments:

I rated this low. I know the theme includes the words "abandonment" and "left behind" but I only apply that to people, as I assume it was meant to be metaphorical, or at least evocative.

It took me a long time to figure out what it was. At first I assumed it was a diver's snorkel, but I assumed with the theme it would have to be something slightly more maudlin. I believe it is a walking cane. The cane looks brand new.

I assume this is a frozen beach. There's a lot of debris that is unrelated to the image, some of which could even be dirt on a digital photo sensor.

I just don't think this is a strong image, and regardless of what the proposed interpretation of the theme is, "Alone" is not the kind of word I need a lot of guidance on, and that I choose to interpret my way.

This cane may be abandoned, but the person who was using it is either better now, or being helped by others. Or I guess I could assume the worst, but then he or she is no longer alone either, unless we are to infer assumptions about the after-life.