Comment from susanlen
I have grown these plants in my greenhouse where they have flowered. Such wonderful blooms. You have captured this flower very well with very good lighting which is showing up the difference in the white tones and also highlighting the greens. Like the way you have taken the flower and used it in the background to form a design each side of the frame. Original and very striking.

 Comment Written 11-Jun-2013

---

reply by the author on 11-Jun-2013

Thanks Susan. I had a lot of fun doing this one.

Comment from donkeyoatey
WAY cool! I love the lighting on this, it has an inner glow that reaches out of the screen and grabs the eye! Your background adds amazing depth, and as you mentioned, that touch of the surreal. I like the way you gave this a slight tip..as if it is picking up light from outerspace. Donkeyoatey

 Comment Written 11-Jun-2013

---

reply by the author on 11-Jun-2013

Thanks so much Don! I had fun doing this one... may do some more :)

Comment from Jairos
Beautiful MACRO shot, good initial impact, very good frame the clarity is great nice mixed media techniques and very good composition focus is sharp well done , - jairos

 Comment Written 11-Jun-2013

---

reply by the author on 11-Jun-2013

Thanks so much Jairos. Not bad for a photo zoom lens huh? :)

Comment from gidavidson
What a beauty and even better with your great edit. Love it. The side lighting, great focus and frame all so well presented. There are several cactus plants that have a short life when they bloom, kind of neat in a way, you need to find, see and enjoy them for their beauty.

 Comment Written 10-Jun-2013

---

reply by the author on 11-Jun-2013

Love these flowers George. Thanks so much.

Comment from Fotografia Cenaprint
If this photograph was a painting by an Old Master of the 16th century it could have been done by Botticelli. Coloring is perfect. The cactus flower is the center piece so it
springs out in the photo. The background is blurred and it has to be like that.
This is the perfect photograph.

 Comment Written 10-Jun-2013

---

reply by the author on 11-Jun-2013

Your comments make me blush! Thanks so much!

Comment from Photography byTrixie
Very soft and beautiful. Impact 5, color 5, harmony 5, story 5 makes it something most people will never see, technique 5, technical 5 and creative. It is just pretty and soft and sharp image.

 Comment Written 08-Jun-2013

---

reply by the author on 08-Jun-2013

Thanks trixie.

Comment from Sange
******************************
I am over the MOON on this shot E! Chickadee will be "mooning" over this as well! Haha..shhhh... never tell!
Love the clarity and how it just floats! Your edit is WICKED COOL and oh so creative and clever!
Fine work E!

 Comment Written 07-Jun-2013

---

reply by the author on 07-Jun-2013

thanks Miss Sange!!

Comment from Anita B
What a unique flower and I do like the process you used. Sharp
focus and the lighting and shadows work well. Well done.

 Comment Written 07-Jun-2013

---

reply by the author on 07-Jun-2013

Thanks so much Anita.

Comment from clou
Good impact....interesting bloom on this cactus, nice color harmony, the low lighting adds to the drama...sharp focus and nice editing

 Comment Written 07-Jun-2013

---

reply by the author on 07-Jun-2013

Thanks so much C

Comment from michaelsm55
I love any cactus blooms. They all have a good smell and very pretty to look at. Goat a cactus here called a century plant. It blooms like one in ten years then dies. The stalk shoots up 20 feet or so.
Nice post processing work. Have a great day

 Comment Written 06-Jun-2013

---

reply by the author on 06-Jun-2013

Thanks so much Michael. Try to get a shot when your cactus comes back in bloom. Would love to see it.

reply by michaelsm55 on 06-Jun-2013

its in bloom now. Hard to take pictures of the blooms though. They are about 15 feet over my head.

reply by the author on 06-Jun-2013

I understand. what is it called and I can look it up on line.

reply by michaelsm55 on 06-Jun-2013

its called a century plant. I do have some pictures though. I just have to find them lol

reply by the author on 06-Jun-2013

Tried going on the site you sent me. But can't get thru. Will try again later. Thanks

reply by michaelsm55 on 06-Jun-2013

oh my I must be tired. My bad. Try 500px.com. Sorry dear