THEME: BEAUTY IN A NOXIOUS WEED

[gary ellwein]

I frequently encounter this noxious weed while out and about. Although undesirable in the agricultural community, the thistle has some aesthetic qualities.

[Cheryl Slechta]

I bet the birds like it I like your composition with the half bud in the corner and the nice curves. Did you use a texture?

[gary ellwein]

Yes, I did use a texture. I forgot to note this was a theme image.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

The colour and sharpness in the main bud is great, and I like the bud in the LRC. Just seems like a bit too much going on for my taste with all those sharp little leaves!

[Dennis Bishop]

I really like the curves, the colors, and the composition. Your choice of texture was a good one in terms of color and the way in which the lighter parts conform well to the subject. In addition, the lighter parts almost look like seed parachutes.

[Diane Miller]

This is lovely -- cool, icy texture contrasts nicely with the fierce-looking thistle. I love the sharpness and detail you got! Very nice how the focus softens on the blossom in the back, and I love the one in the corner.

[Nancy Bell]

This is a good portrayal of such a prickly weed. I especially like that the blue bkgd is a bit sharp and prickly looking! I also like that partial blossom in the lower right corner. If you had some sharp shears in the field you could have clipped some of those leaves at the base of the main stem, making it less visually busy. But not to be done with bare hands! Bees & butterflies also love thistle and I once had a horse who loved eating the flowers!

[LinzRiverBalmer]

Wowzer, Love this.... except the framing, again just my personal preference for not liking digital frames.

[Christopher Miller]

Very nice composition and details, Gary. The crackled-like texture complements the thistle very well. I'm not super fond of the frame, maybe if the dark areas were lightened a bit.