Thank goodness that this image is #12. The blooms are done. For #12 I had to cheat with a PAD 2nd from a week ago.

This image was an exercise in depth of field. I lined up two blooms and then made the image so that the front bloom was pretty well in focus and the rear bloom was totally out of focus forming a "soft colored-shadow effect" behind the one in front. 1:1 lens with 1.4x TC for larger than life size result (and making a shallow DOF, which I wanted, a piece of cake). Natural light & a black backdrop completes the story.

Happy holidays, whichever you may celebrate, to all.

(Self critique - Craftsmanship avg+, Composition avg, Creativity avg+)