For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, His eternal power and Godhead;... Rom 1:20
Thanks for the compliments everyone, I really appreciate them.
My camera is a Nikon D80 and this shot was a JPEG, not a RAW file. I have in-camera sharpening at +2 (highest) and color saturation also turned up. The lens is a Tokina 100mm Macro stopped down to f/22 for maximum DOF. I always need flash assist with that small an aperture and up till now have only been using the D80's built-in flash. I have a new Speedlight on order, as well as an extended flash bracket to change the direction of the flash. The built-in flash is powerful enough, but too harsh and doesn't give the soft 3D look that I see being achieved by top macrophotographers. I'm just starting out though and hope to have much better shots to post in the future.
Thanks again to all the wonderful artists here who inspire me.
That's the ONLY way you can possibly get this close to get this great of a shot!!