*Hello from Sid and the Critique club*
An appealing image that does meet the challenge.
I'm not sure what your lighting and shadows problem was but I think the end result is most acceptable, in fact a very nice high key effect whose shadows are very subtle and blend in well with the end result. Your exposure is very nice you have got some lovely whites without blowing the highlights. A smaller aperture would have got you a better DOF encompassing the petals in the foreground in a sharper way but I think the nature of this high key image allows you to have some softness in those petals in a way that adds to the end result in a pleasing sort of way.
Whilst I prefer an off centre composition there is sometimes a need for a more symmetrical approach such as you have here. Given the size of your subject, a miniature rose being smaller an off-centre composition filling the frame might not have been possible for you being beyond the closest limits of your lens perhaps? If not then I think this would have improved the image substantially.
Sorry you didn't get any comments during the challenge, I hope this helps. Thanks for your submission, Sid |