Flowers are beautiful, and we all see photos of flowers on a regular basis. I have reached a point where I don't share that many flower photos, and when I do it really needs to be one that either strives to see them differently or where the photo eclipses the best photos of flowers I have taken in the past.
This photo for me accomplishes the former. It is easy to get caught up in the total package of what makes a flower captivating. For me, the color is usually what captures my eye first. It's easy to get lost in that one single component.
I have started to convert some of my photos of flowers to black and white. It's not that this flower isn't beautiful in color. In fact the deep red color of this dahlia was incredible. However, it's the structure of this flower that really grabs my attention, and in color, it's really difficult to focus on that aspect.
The contrast of this flower that is sidelit to the black background really helps to separate it from everything else around it and draw you into its complexity and detail. Flowers are amazing just from a biological standpoint, and seeing that side of them in black and white helps to emphasize how interesting they can be.