The 'gold crown' around the chrysalis is how Monarchs won their name.

The small diffused secondary (fill) flash of the Nissin Di866 can be completely switched off. I have never used it.

ONLY a true macro lens has flat field capture. Using extension tubes on a conventional lens does NOT correct the curved field capture of a conventional lens.

The date is sharp, but the words "WE TRUST" are not. Are you using a macro lens with flat field coverage?

In my experience, the Nissin Di866 is the most powerful speedlight on the market.
When viewing Guide Numbers (GN), make sure that you are not comparing apples to oranges.
Industry standard measurement is speedlight set at 35-mm coverage, ISO 100, in meters.
Several manufacturers use a more narrow field of coverage (i.e. higher mm setting), or higher ISO, or measure in feet, all of which give a false higher GN.
The Metz 64 AF-1 is rated at GN 64, with speedlight set to 200-mm coverage (condensed light pattern): https://www.ephotozine.com/article/metz-64-af-1-digital-flash-review-26036

Here is an independently tested comparison chart of various speedlights:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-208134-1.html

I suspect that your image is of an older 'Turkey Tail' fungus (Trametes versicolor), which is quite common in SoCal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trametes_versicolor

Turkey Tail Bracket or Shelf Fungus

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