artBob wrote:
I think it might be closer to what you want, and, objectively, is more rich in tonal range. I would prefer a little more tone separation between the flower and its background, to make it stand out just a bit more (attached Photoshop Curves).
I am on your side about not overcooking. Always tricky, and viewers have different tipping points. We have to exaggerate to tell the reality--but carefully in my opinion,