Bracket Fungus + Repost

This is so beautiful. The spiraling vertigo composition goes well the the outrageous colors. Due to the nature of the subject I would go all out in abstracting this by centering the middle of the fungus and use a square format. Have those swirls start at the edge of the frame and work into the center. Excellent work. 

Very cool.  I agree with Igor on cropping tighter and perhaps doing a square aspect ratio.  It's worth it!
ML

Your effort paid off well. Go square.

Excellent, the large image is a treat!! I agree with Igor's square format suggestion, would not change anything else.

This works for me, and is my kind of image--an intimate detail from nature. My only nit is the very dark area in the lower right corner. I am on th fence with the suggestions for square format--I would need to see it. I love all the details and radiating curves. Nicely done!
--P

I love the detail especially in the larger version.  The contrasting lines and forms are also wonderful.  I just love intimate scenes like this.

Hi,

Thank you for all the suggestions with most of them focusing on a square format presentation..  I did a square crop of the image after reading up on the attributes of a square crop format.  I think that this image benefits and you forced me to get out of doing something conventional and comfortable.  I am a creature of habit.  For Preston, the square crop removed the extremely dark corner.  Although the corner is dark, it seems to me that it is an improvement over the original.  I also researched that this fungus is known as the turkey tail and is well named for the circular bands of color that can be found on a turkey's tail.  Once again--Thank you..........................Jim

A great spiral of textures, shapes and subtle colors, Jim.  Love it.  The square crop emphasizes the circularity of the shape nicely.  I do like how your original post uses depth to add interest and a bit of upper left - lower right tension.

I personally like the square crop more. Since this is no longer a mushroom but a organic spiral I'm wondering if taking some liberties with reality would work. Since this image is mostly warm colors why not shift the white balance to make them still warmer and/or saturate the yellows and browns a bit more. Browns, I have learned recently, are just dark oranges. Perhaps show off that color without overdoing it. It might help or it may not. 

I definitively prefer the repost. Now the emphasis is on the swirls and double spirals. Very nice colors and light. Seems there are lots of possibilities for further details, zooming in. I find the green in the lrc slightly distracting, by a rotation of about 45 degrees you may get rid of it. If it were possible to go circular... Anyway I like it.

Excellent abstract.