Hello. This is my first photo critique on this forum, please be kind! :-)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v347/Napalm_Fire/_MG_6967.jpg

:-)

Welcome to critique. Nice shot and good DOF. I would however recommend a tighter crop. The partial flower on the right is distracting as are the muted flowers on top. Try to concentrate on the 3 flowers as your main subject and try to simplify to only those. Very nice first post!!
Ken

I wanted to keep a larger crop because I liked the green/red backround colors.

Heres a smaller crop on the main 3.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v347/Napalm_Fire/Flowerssmall.jpg

I still think you need to get closer. That is where your focus is so in order to show the viewer where you want them to look then help us get there by using a tight crop. You could even do a vertical crop by getting rid of the flowers to the left and right. By doing this you have a leading line to the flower and that is your point of focus. Good Job, but get closer.

Ok from now on I'm keeping the original files. I edited and then erased the RAW.

*Creates raw folder

Ok. Now I'll have somewhere to keep things when i need them again.

Heres a 3rd crop, vertical

**Edit: I have to say, i like the 3rd the best. if i took out the one on the left, the shot was too narrow. The second one on the left also adds light a DOF to it, in contrast to the heavy DOF in the far backround.

I'd like to get closer, but I dont have a sharp macro lens. I'm looking for an extention tube for this super sharp lens so I can focus closer and capture more detail I posted a thread about it in Canon Hardware if anyone can help.

Thanks for the replies!

Gorgeous! I love the last image. The composition is much better now.
I was wondering where I should be looking in the first.

This is probably the better crop as it puts the blossoms in stronger positions in the frame.

You still retain some of the muted red color background. The lower portion needs more DOF but its not totally objectionable, unless you want everything razor sharp.

By the way, they are 'petals' not 'pedals' :)

I could easily add a DOF look with gaussian blur, but I'd rather keep it as stock as possible, and fine tune my skills instead of manipulating. Although I do see what you're saying.

I googled it actually, I typed in "Flower pedals" and "flower petals" and didnt know what to put in, as neither showed a correction. haha. That always confused me.

Thanks for the comments!