When I posted a critiquer
suggested a b/w might work. Since I had already made one I am posting for comparison.(If the background has been replaced, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Adrienne,
I like this b&w after viewing your color version. The first thing I noticed was the brighter light on the lotus flower followed in a diagonal down through the leaf. My own preference would be to crop some of the black background on the sides. Really nice shot with dragonfly as well.
B&W version brings out the tonal gradations very well. Dragonfly is a plus. Agree with Ann Louise’s suggestion.
Adrienne: Fine conversion. I’m an avowed color junkie so I like the original a bit better but this works very well. 
>=))>
As an admitted fan of black and white conversions, I will say that I prefer the color version in this case. I don’t think there’s enough contrast here to help the subject pop against the background. That is present in the color image, however, and not just because of the colors themself. I think a tighter crop could help in this case, as it’ll improve the ratio of light/dark tones, which in itself will help the flower and leaf stand out a bit more.
Max
Adrienne: I don’t think that the b/w version is as impactful as the color version primarily because of its low contrast. I think if you added a true white point it would reduce the amount of grey in the lotus. Richard
I like the image and think a b&w conversion really suits it, but I think a couple things could really improve it. A tighter crop and a boost in the white levels. I think it would also be nice if you could recover some of the stem on the left flower. JMHO
Much prefer the color version because of the subtle transition in the colors.
