First some honorable mentions in no particular order
![](https://pbase.com/image/160044639/medium.jpg)
Eerie scene. The white figure with the very dark trees in the background evoke a ghost
![](https://pbase.com/image/154276819/medium.jpg)
Hitchcock, here we come!
![](https://pbase.com/image/169223270/medium.jpg)
The deliberate underexposure works. That water looks threatening for sure. Don't get too close to it.
![](https://pbase.com/image/106435673/medium.jpg)
Lights across a hazy swamp... Probably elves, but who knows? The motion in the image is really interesting.
Third place
![](https://pbase.com/image/54481295/medium.jpg)
Stark black and white. And yes, the sadness comes through.
Second place
![](https://pbase.com/image/155999477/medium.jpg)
A strong image of futile struggle and death. Truly dark.
Fist place/winner
![](https://pbase.com/image/168553747/medium.jpg)
I liked this one right of the bat. Not sure what was done here technically, but the effect is strong. A faceless human in some sort of web... Yikes!