* Greetings from the Critique Club *
First of all, let me say that I think your entry perfectly meets the Challenge. You've used a naturally occurring obstacle (the slats of a blind) to bring the viewers' focus to the flowers visible.
I like the colors you've chosen and the post-processing effort to ismaintain this color bias. The blues offset the purples & magenta tones of the flowers quite nicely.
The crop is also quite good (IMHO). You manage to provide enough of an "overall"appearance through the available sightholes, so that it only accents the emphasis you obviously planned.
I think one thing that actually detracts from your entry is the almost surreal illusion of color broadcast from outside. Your post-processing emphasizes the blues & purples, but almost leaves out the other colors completely. While this can be an artistic choice, I'm not sure (IMHO) that it works in this particular instance. I think you have more than enough depth and composition to support the work without relying on simple tricks. (Please don't get me wrong, I think this is still a very strong entry & shot on its own.) I am just trying to convey the feeling that this particular image brings to my mind.
All interpretations are just that... individual interpretations. And you'll have to come to grips with the fact that (and trust me, I'm still kicking and screaming!), that it's YOUR OPINION that matters most. Oddly enough, when an artist feels strongly enough about his/her work, then the quality shines through in ways that even the artist didn't anticipate.
I'm no expert, but I think overall you have a very nice shot. The lighting & cropping are good. It meets the challenge very well. And I like the fact that it's a "pleasant" image that lies beyond the borders of the window slats.
Just my 2 cents...
Jimmy
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