There's the "12 Days of Christmas" and then there's what is turning into my PAD's "12 Days of Christmas Cactus" with this one being the 6th day. Stick with me, we're half way there. This is another attempt to shoot something other than "just another photo of a flower". A critique - my very first some three years ago - of what I thought at the time was one of my great shots ever (I'd been doing this for under a year so how many could there be?) was "It's a beautiful rose, Ed - BUT it's just a rose". That comment - not said meanly - has stuck with me and is my "prime directive". Anyone can make an ordinary image of an extraordinary subject. However, one needs to put something of themselves - some creativity - into their work and attempt to make ordinary subjects *extraordinary*. This is the old philosopher signing off.

This is a montage (overlay) of two images. The softer portion (which appears to be a multiple exposure background) is a single image that was shot with a 1 second shutter speed while *shaking* the camera. The second is a *normal* shot of the same flower but moved slightly left in the frame (done in camera, not PS) to allow the *pseudo multiple* to show through better.
Another technique that's safe for the kids to try at home. And the result is not "just another Christmas Cactus", Joe. Thanks for the words of wisdom three years ago. Those words did more to make me a better photographer than any others that I've heard or read - but it did take another year to finally get the message.