April Showers...by
Catherine_BComment by Matthew: There is nothing really wrong with your photo - the following are fairly minor issues, but together, and absent some other wow factor, may be part of the reason for the low score.
Flower shots are relatively cliched beasts - lots of good ones have been done. They are relatively easy, as there is little apparent challenge (go to garden/park, find flower, take photo). To score well, I think that you would need a superb photo.
Your photo is of a specimen that does not look its absolute best. I think it has been a bit battered, rather than gently dusted, in the rain. The leaf to the left looks supporting, rather than framing the flower. The central petals are closed around the stamen (may be effect of rain).
Lighting is overall flat - the dull sky has made the light non-directional, and that means no shadows. If there was a break in the clouds, that would have beena better moment. Otherwise, some artificial lighting might have helped (I might have tried the flash and maybe a torch, if outward bound). For the same reasons, there is no detail in the water drops - a light might have added catchlights, drawing attention to them as a feature. As it is, they could be distractions.
The colours are a little weak - the green is dark and the yellows pale. Some saturation could be good.
The DoF does not cover the whole flower: the petals to the back are just out of focal field - just enough to distract, not enough to be anintentional effect.
Photo might have been better achieved in bright sunlight after decorating the leaves with a pipette of water, or a spray mist (never tried this myself - just an idea).
I gave you a 5 - picture fine, but nothing special, some small issues, no fantastic redeeming ones. I would stand by that. That is very near the score you got - it is the score I gave to a lot of other pics. For me, you have ended up in the pack in the middle of the field - just near the back, rather than the front. The ranking is deceptive.
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