[pixbyjnjphotos]

I try to achieve very sharp pictures with crisp and real life color details. Pinks, reds, purples, and yellows can sometimes be troublesome. These pink ladies are just a tad darker than real life. This picture was shot with a Nikon D80 sporting a Tamron 17-50mm telephoto lens with VC as well as a Nikon SB600 speedlight. Post processing with Paint Shop Pro X5 consisted of some rotation of the photo, darkening the shadow background and cropping the picture. Everything else is as it came out of the camera. I am looking for constructive criticism. Be truthful. I can take the heat. [attachment=685]

[NT73]

I like the two main flowers, but I wonder how much the out of focus ones surrounding them, mar the finished result.

Only the ones that go beyond the edge of the shot (I would clone out, or obliterate with the B/G dark colour)
So that would be three in total. 2 top right on bottom left.
You may like them as they are.

The main ones have a 3D look about them.

The other way to remove them is using a black or dark board/paper, behind the main flowers when you are taking the shot.

[vlad]

I like the two main flowers, but I wonder how much the out of focus ones surrounding them, mar the finished result.

Only the ones that go beyond the edge of the shot (I would clone out, or obliterate with the B/G dark colour)
So that would be three in total. 2 top right on bottom left.
You may like them as they are.

The main ones have a 3D look about them.

The other way to remove them is using a black or dark board/paper, behind the main flowers when you are taking the shot.

I agree with NT73. Maybe you could've found another position to take the picture from, so that you could only reprezent the two main flowers. Almost anything that you can do to improve the picture as you take it beats post-processing to later fix it. Maybe a longer lens would've helped.
I would also prefer it to be a bit brighter, but that's a matter of taste.

[BrandyMaeD]

I really like the color contrast. I like the sharpness and the texturing in the flower petals. Sorry I don't have any suggestions, because I like it the way it is.

[jinko]

Without having read the first critiques I thought the same, there´s just too much stuff going on in the background. Either the depth of field should be extremely shallow to blur it completely or better still, crop in tighter.