Your subjects are always so fascinating and unusual. I like the texture and the gentle feeling of undulating surface that you've captured. The tonal range also works quite well for this. There are a couple of "soft" areas, but not so obvious that it detracts from the image for me. The crop didn't work as well for me, and I was wondering if you considered a diagonal placement of this subject? I like the image, though. The white balance feels spot-on.   Posted: 03/17/2023 20:34:37

Agreed that the subject is sharp enough without focus stacking. I noticed the edges are very sharp against the dark background.. Love it.   Posted: 03/19/2023 21:19:50

I can't say I've thought much about the spikes on a pine cone, which I now realise are petals. I learn something every day! I watched a youtube video about cutting them off for kids to play with, and now I've seen a few detatched petals, I don't know which end this is. My guess is it's the outer end, not the inner one, cut off.

Whatever, it makes an interesting picture. As the others say, the colour and texture are really nice. Sharpness is good for f32. Nicely lit with soft shadows. I like the dark but not black backgroound.   Posted: 03/20/2023 15:51:21