Rose

I took this photo at Longwood Gardens a few weeks ago.
Processed in Elements 10: Skew & crop; clone imperfections; levels; selective lighten and darken; Shadows/Highlights; selective desaturation; warming Photo Filter; texture by Kim Klassen; Omni lighting in center; Color Efex Pro: Polarization and Vignette Blur.
I'm bothered by the outer petals right and left--but not sure why.
Constructive critique requested! :-)

When I first looked at this, Anita, I tried to see why you might be bothered by the outer petals. I like them, but my vision of a rose tends to be of something that's soft and delicate. Finally, I realized that my attention was focused on that strong ring of yellow. When I desaturated the yellow some, the outer petals seemed better incorporated into the image, make it more harmonious. Reducing the saturation of the yellow really made the pinks stand out, so I backed off the saturation of the red channel a bit, too but a smaller amount.

To me, it also made the curve of the petals easier to appreciate.

Anita, I think Dennis hit the nail on the head:S3:

Thank you so much, Dennis and Cheryl. You solved my problem. :-)

Dennis made some good changes but I've always liked bold and colorful...nice work Anita

I like Dennis' softness, too. I think perhaps, Anita, that is sort of what you wanted to accomplish, too or it wouldn't have bothered you. The pinks is yours is a bit neon....but then, living in a university town, I can see where the brighter colors would thrill some of our residents, so it's, again, all in the vision.

I appreciate the thoughtful comments. I toned it down as per Dennis' suggestion and was happier with the result. I do love bright colors, but can go overboard.:bg3:

HI Anita...just want to give you a vote for the OP! Lovely work!