splash

I like the drama that the waterfall bg brings, Bob, though I hadn't realised that was what it was ! I don't feel it's too busy at all but would like to have seen a vertical comp perhaps, or at least more of the stems to make the setting a bit clearer. Love the light on the flowers !

The Stokes Aster is very vibrant, but the BG as seen is too distracting. I think , from the f/36, you were trying to include the waterfall with some detail. It just wasn't going to happen at 230mm. You could try to rescue this by cropping from the right and top to remove a good bit of the white, then burning the rest of the white highlights, but you would have been far better off to find a less distracting BG.

The waterfall gives a nice context to the flowers. Beauty.

I agree with Ian here. Including more of stems in a vertical comp would have been nice. The waterfall does not bother me but the gold on the rock midframe right keeps grabbing my eye.. Super light on the flowers.

I think that the background is beautiful, original, emotive, with mouvement and depth. I have no critique only a personal preference: in a dramatic image I would like better a real strong blue, without magenta contaminations. Beautiful photo, Robert.
Take care.

Bob: Neat BG indeed and really nice lighting on the flowers. Nice find and a fine capture. >=))>