I'm not a huge fan of lens flare either. I think that they ruin a shot more than the help it and that is the main reason that I want to get hoods for my lenses. I think Jared hit the nail on the head with this one. The flare is way to overpowering in this shot. I think it's great that you timed your shot and nailed it the way you wanted to, but it's just not my cup of tea. It's always great to experiment and try new techniques so keep it up!