The lighting and the black background really make this stand out. Great color in the flowers, too. This one has a slight edge over the other one. Very nice, Roland.
So far, my preference is for the textured gold background...mainly because I like seeing the details of the flowers. Very dramatic shot, however, well done on the lighting!
I think this one is wonderful Roland! I love the way you used the light for this. The black background makes the flower stand out. Beautiful and dramatic. My favorite of the two!