Hide and Seek
by catn

Comment by jsas:
nice shot.

Hide and Seek
by catn

Comment by KarenNfld:
Photo is a bit grainy and out of focus.

Hide and Seek
by catn

Comment by aledfc:
This is a very interesting picture. I like how everything besides the branch is blurred. It keeps your eye on the main point of focus. Well Done!

Hide and Seek
by catn

Comment by Neuferland:
You can't catch me! Sorry, that is the first thing that came to mind when I saw this. My son does that all the time. Well done over all, composition is well done, the branch leading you in, taking you to the first ant and then continuing on to the second ant. A great find and nice capture overall. The lack of sharpness is it's biggest downfall overall, the lighting, the DOF and the shot itself is great. Couldn't have been easy getting this one. An 8

Beauty: The Beginning of its End
by catn

Comment by tpoc:
lotus flowers and water lillies are special to me, and seeing the kit kat wrapper with such a beautiful flower makes this photo all the more poignant.

A Bloom of Grace
by catn

Comment by SteveJ:
Greetings from the Critique Club:

A Bloom of Grace was your entry for the Delicate challenge and it fits well. It appears to be a Water Lily? no too sure though :)

Technical:
Focus is spot on and by using f2.8 you have obtained a shallow depth of field that produces a sunburst of petals as a background whilst bringing the centre into clear focus. I think there is a hint of sharpening. It is a useful tip to include your processing steps in your comments, these help other replicate your process and help when doing a critique as CC can follow your steps and understand more clear if there are things that need working on. A lot of voters do not like centred images, but this works in that format. You have wisely used maximum sizing to increase the impact. Perhaps, at another time, try using fill flash to open out the centre of the plant more.

Composition:
A central weighted format using a single flower as the focal point. The background is very natural, but the two green areas visible through the petals tend to pull the eye away at times. Very good overall.

Overall:
There are few things more delicate than a flower head. This is a very deceptive image as it has to be studied carefully to get the full impact. I have a feeling that you have a leaning towards Macro photography, a very rewarding genre to aim for, it is my favourite as well. Your score is about what I would have expected for the image and now you have the task of matching it the future. Over 5 is good and even if you drop below, use every challenge you enter as a lesson in your hobby/work/torture. I hope you didn't get your feet wet getting this shot! I hope this helps and is constructive.

Steve

Multi-tasking
by catn

Comment by ttreit:
A tighter crop woul d have really helped.

Multi-tasking
by catn

Comment by photobytes:
Could this have been pulled in closer, too much space at the top. Subject well focused and good lighting. The cell always gets the attention.

Multi-tasking
by catn

Comment by Elemmennope:
Try not centering your subject. It's an easy trick to make a photo have a bit more visual interest.

Good subject and concept behind the photo.

A Bloom of Grace
by catn

Comment by anthonyczaja:
This is an excellent overal image. It fits the challenge perfectly. I love the depth of field with the lower petals out of focus creating a very soft and delicate backdrop, although I think you may be voted lower by some people, because they will not notice how sharp the center of the flower truely is. The colors are great. The center composition works well here because it draws you inside the bloom. Again, excellent first photo. I'll rate it a 6. -Czaja