Thanks, guys, for kind comments.
Jakov, yes, the high performance of modern lenses sometimes make it a bit tricky to utilize bizarre effect caused by the unique character of the lenses.
Hugh, thanks for sharing your memories of your mother relating to Camellia japonica (called "tsubaki" in Japanese). Here in Japan, Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua are almost equally ubiquitous, and it is a bit tricky to tell their difference. The Latin scientific name of the latter came from Japanese common name for this particular species ("sazanka"). The depicted camellia might be sazanka.
Tristin, yes, that's exactly how I was attracted to this particular scene with the flower.