Nicely done.
Beautiful texture in the petals and I like the water drop on it. If this was a recent image Brian, have you thought about getting above that beautiful flower and shooting down on it? Might be cool...
It's a nice rose Brian but the only thing that should be in the frame is the rose and background.
Anything else distracts the eye away from the rose. Just what my eyes see.
I'm with Grahame on this shot Brian, but I would probably be a bit more aggressive on the top when I crop.
All the space around the flower to the left, right and top do not add anything to the composition, so it should be eliminated.
there is only one way to make my case. here is the poem that the shot illustrates. If i cropped it the traditional way it would be a better rose but a lousier illustration.
The Road Not taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I could possibly understand your intention Brian if the image included two roads but placing a rose centre stage in the image where there is no suggestion that this is connected to any road just confuses me
A long time ago when I was still drinking I had a rule... if enough people (enough varied due to the circumstances) suggested I ease off I would. I am beginning to see a pattern here and i may just have to agree that this is just not as good as I thought it was.
Now as for confusing you what can I say other than be thankful you don't think like I do.