OK, first responder responding
Without a full critique, I like the intensity of color and drama of the first. And I think you chose an interesting angle with the petals pointing towards the stamen, excellent lighting.
In the second I like the softer, almost pastel palette. Happy to see more like this. The lack of anything sharp however does not work for me on this one. Maybe if it was more dramatically out of focus and appearing even more abstract.
Good to experiment.
Scott, thanks for the analysis. You comments have me thinking about another option. I am thinking of a soft, pastel treatment for the outer portion of an image and an inner window with a transition to sharp elements.
