red skies at night
by Rikki

Comment:
Wow. Amazing colors.

Back to the Future
by gloda

Comment:
Neat effects. Can't wait to read how it was done.

Midnight Beauty
by Nikonian Ninja

Comment:
Gorgeous. I'll be interested to read how you kept the lights from blowing out completely.

Begonia Basket
by skewsme

Comment:
Looks like a water-color painting! Very nice.

Anatomy of a Golfer
by NstiG8tr

Comment:
I really wish I could figure out how this was done.

Pedestrian Bridge at Night
by Pug-H

Comment:
Don't move! Well done, but too bad nothing could be done about the bright lights.

No Evil
by LN13

Comment:
Well done! I had a similar idea but failed to follow through. Just as well, as your photo is better than I would have done.

Life source
by Rino63

Comment:
I have the feeling that this is a really cool picture that I am rating too low - but I just can't quite figure out what I'm seeing!

Beautiful Iris
by sarnewfie

Comment:
Technically, this is a wonderful shot. Focus on the flower is crisp, good use of DOF keeps background soft. Lighting and colors are wonderful. I think you could improve the quality of the shot by putting the flower in context or introducing another element of interest. A bee or ladybug is good. Having a child holding or smelling the flower would add interest. Something that says more than just "close up of flower."

I would guess that in a challenge this would not score high because of the choice of subject. I can only speak for myself, but I am not an expert on flowers, and close-up shots of flowers just don't do much for me, even when technically superb. This particular flower looks "droopy" to me and is therefore not appealing, even though it may be a wonderful example of the species. Is "species" the right word for flowers? I tend to have the same reaction to photos of bugs and pet cats. This is not meant as negative commentary on the photo, just trying to give insight as a voter (I suspect I'm not alone).

That said, a lot of folks love the flower shots, and this shot demonstrates genuine skill as a photographer.

Bottled Water. Costs More Than Gasoline!
by EarlBaker

Comment:
Thank you all for the kind comments. I must say I am very disappointed in my score and showing in this challenge. I knew this picture wasn't an overall "8", but I really thought I could average a "6" and top my previous best efforts. I thought my idea for the challenge was original, with a little humor, thus making it at least a 5 for concept. I thought the execution was pretty good. Composition was okay, colors, crispness, etc... pretty darn good. While I certainly understand not voting this a really high score, I am stunned that 38 voters felt this was worth a 1, 2, or 3. I am a somewhat stingy voter myself (few 7, 8, 9)and I only give 1, 2, or 3 to really bad photos or to photos that make no discernible attempt to meet the challenge.

What makes it more disappointing is that with the small number of entries, and the overall quality of the entries (not a strong group), I really felt I had a chance at a better finish.

Oh well, I am still proud of the shot. It was an elaborate set up (for me) and I did a lot better job at post-processing than in previous efforts. Back to the studio!