blue thing
by tanguera

Comment:
A wonderful effect, no idea what it is, though.

chasm
by aberration

Comment:
Condensation inside a clear plastic water reservoir (for a coffee maker)?

Winter is Coming
by Waitingsilence

Comment:
Close up of Santa's beard.

Kobra
by the_rkp

Comment:
Small glass beads inside net hose of some sort?

mellow yellow - quite right
by chalice

Comment:
Candle wax?

rgb
by primabarbara

Comment:
A colander and some really effective, creative lighting...

nothingman
by bspurgeon

Comment:
Toenail of a sort...

Ja-9
by Ja-9

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club:

Hi Janine,

I'll start by putting a couple of things out on the table for you. I'm not a big fan of shooting flowers and not an expert in any sense about what to look for, but I do enjoy looking at strong images of flowers. Take my comments with a grain of salt or a drop of honey.

I did vote in this challenge and gave this image a six. I don't know your style well enough to have expected a flower in this challenge, but I do know I'm enjoying your recent entries a lot. Especially the variety of subject matter and processing approaches. Very eclectic!

This photo is fascinating. As some of the commenters have noted it is soft with details that fit the subject so well. The single pink color palette with gradients created by petal edge lines and shadows is quite calming. The arcing lines themselves are varied and interesting - while defining a graceful diagonal path through the image. I only wonder where to land and tend to rest at the darkest section in the upper left third of the image. That said, I will say I like it a lot.

Finally, FWIW, I have to make a comparison to your Pastels entry, Pretty in Pink, which I personally think is a stronger image, although it didn't score as well. Just more fodder for the I am the Walrus score thread :-)

Bee
by OK-Photography

Comment:
OK - It's me again, from the DPC Critique Club:

I don't think I've seen a macro like this before. Really very engaging shot. The Canon lens you used is really a great lens and you've put it to good use here. The background and foreground colors meet the challenge for pastels, but the main subject might be stretch. The shallow DOF works to help isolate the honey gathering as the subject, not the bee as a whole. Compositionally, the subject placement along the right 3rd (vertical) is a strong placement choice. You might consider cropping a bit off the bottom to put the subject closer to the intersection of the vertical and horizontal thirds lines. If there's any room left on the left side, you might also consider adding a bit more breathing room to the left of the wing. Macro work is challenging with the often limited DOF, as you have here. You really got the focal plane in a good spot... although I'd be curious what a wider DOF through smaller aperture or focus stacking might do. As it stands the bee blends into the background at the rear.

I really like this photo and these suggestions are meant to encourage other options than the ones you've chosen and not as criticism of the choices you made. Nicely done!

Bee
by OK-Photography

Comment:
OK - It's me again, from the DPC Critique Club:

I don't think I've seen a macro like this before. Really very engaging shot. The Canon lens you used is really a great lens and you've put it to good use here. The background and foreground colors meet the challenge for pastels, but the main subject might be stretch. The shallow DOF works to help isolate the honey gathering as the subject, not the bee as a whole. Compositionally, the subject placement along the right 3rd (vertical) is a strong placement choice. You might consider cropping a bit off the bottom to put the subject closer to the intersection of the vertical and horizontal thirds lines. If there's any room left on the left side, you might also consider adding a bit more breathing room to the left of the wing. Macro work is challenging with the often limited DOF, as you have here. You really got the focal plane in a good spot... although I'd be curious what a wider DOF through smaller aperture or focus stacking might do. As it stands the bee blends into the background at the rear.

I really like this photo and these suggestions are meant to encourage other options than the ones you've chosen and not as criticism of the choices you made. Nicely done!