Well, maybe almost never.

Now that IS an interesting effect! (Nice image BTW) Do you know, some people (like me) would spend hours & hours and use a multitude of filters to get the effect you've got here! LOL! That really is quite an amazing alien-plant-thing you've photographed though...what is it?

...interesting, looks like a water lily caught in a net : )

elusive.chaos

"You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star...." (Nietzsche)

Looks like a photoshop filter! Very pretty accidental effect you got there!

I am, therefore I create.......
--- michelleamarante.com

That is really cool!!! What ever you did worked.

wow...thats really cool, looks handpainted! What is going on in there?

Happy you like the effect! I did indeed discover it by accident, and have been playing with it some. Basic idea is start with any image, (this is a Lotus flower from Chicago Botanical Garden water plants area). Save it as low quality jpeg. Then Sharpen several (5, 6?) times in Photoshop to bring out the funky texture. From here, can try several different things. [gif compression also does interesting things...]

my god ... the misteries of digital world ... are puzzling my mind more every day ... ;-) the effect is amazing ...

Oh, wow, this is a really cool effect! That's a real flower? Geez, I've got to hit the Botanical Gardens here come spring!

Neat. I've really got to experiment more. What's that cone sprinkler thing in the middle of the flower. You mean it always looks like that!? Bsteph

...nice effect, and really good show about jpg-compression. And sharpen tool too. .n