ok - Constructive Criticism, we're all here to learn :o)
To be honest this picture does not inspire me, so how would I improve it? I think there's too much out of focus table cloth, so maybe crop to just around the glass candle holder - there are some interesting distortions to look at. The overall picture is rather grey - try using something like Photoshop to lighten it up. Maybe this shot would have worked better if there was something else in it, like a table decoration behind it.
Any more comments from the experts? I'm only an amature myself.

The clarity is good, but don't think you will get a very high c-index if that is what you are looking for, it needs something else.

Nice capture on the flame & reflection, as malc_hall said mabey some more focus un the cloth would be better

Ok lets take a peek here....why is it when one gets a 'comment request' that they give such a bad review of the photo. Firstly C INDEX does not matter to me and I dont understand why people are so reliant on a silly C-Index 'throws hands up' my theory "Who cares" Now as far as this captured candle flame I love to stare into a candle, theres something hypnotic about the flare of the flame but hey thats just me but Im still gonna put my two cents in. And I think what possibly could have been added....hey maybe a person actually running fingers through the flame how toasty right? My opinion and ONLY opinion is this. Its a nice photo I like flames and romantic candles, and I have nothing negative to say with exception that I no longer post due to commentors who try to give the constructive type criticisms but they only take away from giving my all, hence why my gallery is EMPTY *smiles*. Soooo with a deep breath I say....If you cant say anything positive then dont say it at all. Its a niceeeee capture.

Shell *stomps foot*

G'day IronFeather,
I reckon you are very close to an outstanding *still life* with this image. You have this great simplicity in the components of the image, almost white flame, white textured table cloth, red candle, red second table cloth, square lines from the table cloth, round lines from glass holder and the candle LIGHT patterns on the table cloth. And you have the endless fascination of a flame as a centre of interest. A few things to consider that would maximize the potential you saw. I suspect your mind's eye was drawn to the image because of the components I just mentioned but often we don't know "why" it looks photographable so when we take the actual photo it doesn't look to us the way it "felt" when we first saw it. Instinct is good, conscious awareness needs development, I'm in the same boat, it's why I'm here on Caedes, to look at other really good photos and get comments about my own, to learn. OK, In close focus shots like this depth of field is a vital element to control. You got the candle in good focus but the texture on the table cloth needs to be included in a decent field of sharp focus, exactly what that field should be is up to you but at least the immediate area in front of and behind the candle would make sense. The contrast between the texture of the material and the texture of the glass will work well. I'd move the image over to the right so that you have the candle sitting inside the square corner of the white table cloth and the red table cloth making the outer edge of the image, a round candle inside a double square. One other thing I'd play with is the angle of the shot, would it be better seeing the flame thru the glass more or would it be better getting a higher angle and not having the edge of the glass cutting thru the flame? I take advantage of the digital storage in my camera, in a situation like this I'd take twenty or thirty shots of this subject, each one a bit different. Different angles, different composition, different exposures and f stops. That way if I'm not thinking super sharp in the moment, I still have lots of raw material to work with later on. Issues of colour intensity and that kind of thing, pretty subjective, your the artist, you get to decide what mood you want your work to have and at the end, as long as YOU like looking at it, then it works. :)
Clearly you have good instincts for visual stuff or you would not have *seen* this in the first place.
If you wanted comments from some of the vastly more experienced photographers here you could go to the forums and make a request there as well.
Peace,
Mikel.