It is an interesting image. The colors are vibrant in the candle juxtaposed to the muted colors of the orchids. I would, however, remove the molding in the top left. I go back and forth between removing it and leaving it, as the diagonal add to the geometry of the round candle.   Posted: 10/04/2025 20:22:34

The color pallette of this image is quite beautiful. I think I agree with Cincy that the molding might be better off gone. It looks like you must have used a fairly wide aperture with a very shallow depth of field, causing the upper part of the candle to be a bit out of focus, That, on its own, might not have been a problem, but the flowers make up a dominant amount of the image and they are very much out of focus, which I find distracting. Perhaps you could try cropping out even more of the flowers, thereby emphasizing the candle. Also, a small amount of straightening might also improve the image. It amazes me how continuing to work on a single image can really be a learning tool.   Posted: 10/06/2025 17:21:32

Thank you for your comments. Your suggestions are well taken. Yes, I was using a 70 to 200mm lens set at f/4. I did a bit of straightening a thought I had everything plum. As for the flowers, I found that when I left them sharp, they competed with the candle to become the subject.
I fully agree. It is hard to finally say, "It is finished."   Posted: 10/10/2025 20:38:56

Very nice image, and very creative! I like the sharp details of the candle and the candle stand. The color scheme is also great. I agree with the others on possibly removing the molding at the top. Regarding the flowers, I agree with your comment on keeping them 'soft' in order to keep my focus on the candle. Thanks for sharing this.   Posted: 10/11/2025 20:56:34

agree with the comments above. The blurred flowers work; if they were tack sharp they'd distract from the image and pull my gaze away from the candle. The candle has interesting colors/patterns.   Posted: 10/12/2025 11:45:42