brand new shooter

I am a brand new shooter, with very little topside experience either. So I am trying to learn. Here is a shot i did this weekend. I loved the concept of the coral hanging on a string but definitely feel the photo missed the mark. What could i have done differently. Also this is raw, untouched.

let me add that on my mac at home the cup coral is in focus when enlarged, here it appears out of focus or soft.

When shooting you can try to isolate the subject from the background, either by picking a suitable angle:

Soft coral in Misool.

or by lighting the subject so that it stands out against the background:

Soft coral in the English Channel.

It's also good to fill the frame:

I've cropped, reduced the saturation and brightness of the background and enhanced the sharpness of the dangling coral in your image. Does it help?