A Faded Rose

Hi:
I sort of like this.

John
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/4298592-md.jpg

(I hate being first.) Some sound advice I keep hearing is look at lots of pictures and try to decide why you do like it. And why you don't. Because this is a critique forum, I'm guessing you are like I am, and want honesty. So....

I looked once and left and came back and looked again. Something about it I like. Something about it I don't. Not quite sure what that is. I do like the whites -- the tone, textures and shadows (except the top right corner is too bright, IMHO.

I don't like the rose, because....well...it's dead. But, yet I do like it because if you are imaginative (I am), then you have a story for it.

You say you "sorta" like it. So, are there are aspects you don't like?

Nice concept but the composition doesn't work for me for 2 reasons

1. I think the flower is too centred and needs to be in the bottom third of the photo
2. The ribbon on top and on the right of the photo is cropped off at an awkward point so either keep it all in or take a more severe crop. It just looks like it wasn't intentional.

The presentation to me of the dead rose is someone's wedding memory and tells a story so its a good photo just needs to be either re-taken or cropped.

Roger R.