Verrrry Interesting!
by dtallakson

Comment:
Nice take on a classic subject! Lighting, sharpness, DOF all very well controlled and demonstrate a high degree of skill. The magnifying glass and hand do a lot to tie the photo directly to the challenge (which also sets this photo apart, since it seems many people--including me--interpreted the challenge as "take a picture of a plant").

A Farm on Rose
by Steveinnz

Comment:
No objections to the subject matter, although it is a bit icky--definitely untraditional, which appeals to me--soft focus, flat lighting, and what strikes me as poorly planned composition detract from this photo's effectiveness, unfortunately.

Succulence
by franktheyank

Comment:
I like the choice of subject and the rhythm the leaves create--but since that's the primary interest in this photo, I think you could have zoomed/cropped quite a bit tighter on the zigzag and gotten a much stronger impact that way.

symbiosis
by 2mccs

Comment:
Love the tones, the complexity of the image combined with the relative simplicity of the composition, and a unique take on a very-thoroughly-photographed subject. Blur on the left seems a bit odd though--like a partially-transparent gaussian blur layer rather than "proper" blur from a shallow DOF--distracts a bit from an otherwise very cool photo.

Petal Power
by Bensted

Comment:
Brilliant lighting, love the high contrast. The yellows really work. Focus seems a bit off--your focal plane is not even with the flower, so parts that seem like they should be sharp wind up being soft. Not much going on in the far right--I think you could have cropped tighter without losing anything important.

Untitled
by IAmEliKatz

Comment:
"Not bad" was my initial thought--for this to really pop, you need at least to have a sharp focus on the center of the flower, perhaps a narrower DOF to make the edges fade into blur--also I find myself wondering if a square crop would have better suited the subject/basic composition.

Visitation
by jomari

Comment:
Sharpness, focus, and lighting all very well handled in this most classic of botanical subjects--the bug definitely adds a unique twist, but not sure how I feel about its placement, since it makes the composition feel very bottom-heavy and the right quarter or so of the image seem like dead space.

The Colors of Falls give way to the Grey of Winter
by bobcc

Comment:
yeah, this is really brilliant

Lightkeeper's Threshold
by bassbone

Comment:
top notch: congratulations.

The old man's departure
by cyparis

Comment:
I dig