Umbrella Magnolia bloom

I'm still processing images from last Spring, and this shot of an Umbrella Magnolia bloom turned out nice so I thought I'd share. I used Lightroom 2's post-crop vignette feature to darken the corners, and applied a soft-focus effect by running the High Pass filter on an inverted layer.

I really like this, I can't say much more about it other than good.

I guess it would have been better if all the petals in back had been unfurled, and I'm trying to decide whether there are multiple distinct planes of focus or not. But those are minor points that get overwhelmed by what's good about the image, the subtle glowing of the blossom, the splashes of leaf vein visible here and there, the gentle light, and the beauty of the flower itself. I'm sure it was quite a challenge to photograph a subject like this.

John: Really good capture and processing IMO of a fine subject. The lighting is especially nice. Well done. >=))>

John, excellent use of selective focus to draw your attention to the center of the flower.