Look at my heart!
by kinks

Comment:
I have a very similar submission where the 'heart' of the flower is orange. Sadly I am being rated poorly based on the fact that the entire flower isn't orange. I hope it's going better for you. As far as your composition, I think the croping takes away a lot of the context. The center doesn't really stand out on it's own and cropping in the entire flower may have given it more presence. Maybe you chose this crop to emphasize the orange.

Orange Shapes and Textures
by carlacryptic

Comment:
Nice job capturing the different tectures (orange foam on orange wool?). Composition wise, I think angled shaddows (ie, lighting from a corner, not an edge)tend to look more balanced as opposed to the verticle drop. Also, consider centering equally top/bottom vs left/right.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
by GOLNAZZZ

Comment:
I don't know if this is meant to be soft focus, but it really looks out of focus. Additionally, if that is an orange, the challenge details clearly stated that no oranges were to be used.

Day Glow Orange Flower: Normal saturation!
by Neil

Comment:
Your choice of background really brings out the colors of the flower. I am a bit unsure about the unnatural look of a black stem. If it's the result of messing with the colors too much, then I don't like it. However, if that flower actually has a very dark stem, then it's fine. Alas, I am no botonist, so I will give you the benefit of the doubt. I only mention this so that if the former is the case, I find that it detracts from the image.

Fiery Marigold
by sfalice

Comment:
The photo feels like it's exploding off the screen. I think using a gentle light from the top/side would have served better. As is, the texture of the marigold is really lost. Furhter, the yellowish background provides little contrast to the flower.

Almost Spring!
by Manikz

Comment:
Brown??? Naaa, dark orange. I'll buy that. The photo does captures the essence of the change of seasons. Had there been a bit of green, or even better, a crocus poking it's way through the ice, it would have totally captured spring. Still, nice composition and a serene photo.

Watercolor Digest
by carlacryptic

Comment:
Darn. You have presented me with a conundrum here. On one hand, I really don't like the use of digital filters. On the other hand, the use of such a filter REALLY makes the subject of the magazine. I think I will have to make an exception here.

National Geographic
by jas0420

Comment:
The composition and aspect ration is perfect for a magazine cover. I also really like the soft colors and the background. My only critique would be your choice of magazine title. "Reptile Hobbyist" or "Reptile & Amphibian" would have been better suited. But the again, this isn't a photo title contest.

Birder's World
by jrs915

Comment:
The DOF (blurred behind the title) works perfectly for a magazine cover. Very well done.

PHOTOgraphic - February 2004 issue (www.photographic.com)
by jealborn

Comment:
I like the idea of using an actual magazine cover as inspiration. My recommendations would be to use better chocolate to provide a smoother surface (I use toll house dark chocolate morsels melted in the microwave under low power when I dip strawberries. Only heat for 10-15 seconds at a time and stir between heatings, it tends to burn quickly). Also, the background is to monotonous. Something with a bit of texture would have added some depth.