Magnolia Blossom

7/24/18.  Canon 100-400mm. 

On a tree it's almost impossible to separate one set of leaves from another, but I liked the way this was cradled, as magnolia blossoms usually are cradled in the leaves around them.  I also like the background. 

I like the flower against the dark background, and magnolia leaves are dark.  It seems to me that making what is normally dark light would water down the image.  Do you agree?  I have started making most images brighter these days, but that didn't seem right for this one.

I was happy to find a blossom that was so clean.  I only had to remove a few small spots.

The leaf under the flower needs to be darker, but I didn't know whether I should play around with this that much.

Comments and feedback appreciated.  Thank you.