The texture reminds me of a large pine cone Tigz. I remember painting them when I was a lad. It was all we could afford for Christmas ornaments. :) This would have been on top of the tree, it is so beautiful.
Gorgeous, Sandi. You must have been using a long lens on this shot. It's only a fraction away from being head-on, yet the right half is sharper then the left, and that's really hard to do when you're trying for that effect.
Sandi, it's Saturday now, but this image was already posted on Friday, so I have the right (lol) for calling it a F² image. It's a wonderful one with its deep red tones accentuated by the black shades. My compliments!
Hi, Sandi...You know what I think of your flower shots because I asked you about your technique and lenses. But I am now 35 comments behind and just found out about a couple of sites that have been stealing my shots; so I have to investigate. As always the shot is a beauty. I just don't have the time to elaborate. When I get caught up, I'll write six pages about one of your shots. Please forgive my haste.