Re post processing techniques: Not a whole lot was done to this image in post-processing. I took quite a few bracketed shots, but the sun was too bright, and cast shadows ruined the image, so I blocked the sun with my body, effectively shooting it beneath my shadow (good thing I cast a big shadow!). I think I used spot exposure to expose for the brightest parts of the petals, then used an adjustment layer to tweak levels slightly in post processing. I cloned out a couple of aphids. The background was already dark, but I used the burn tool to make it uniformly dark (eliminating a couple of grass blades) so as not to detract from the subject. I did some slight dodging and burning -- burning the interior of the three rear petals, and dodging the very tips of the petals (used my intuos pen/tablet) to enhance their contrast. It sounds like a lot, but it was about five minutes worth of tweaking, tops. I think the key was getting a well-lit but slightly underexposed image to start with ---- and I've never found a wild iris in such perfect shape!
Karen, you amaze me with what you are able to do with the 2 mega-pixel uzi. Every time that I think I should start looking for a newer camera I turn to see what you are capable of doing with yours.
In this one I am impressed with the clarity and sharpness, rich texture and color.
I wish you would share some of your post processing and editing techniques with us some day.