Both of the images above were taken with exactly the same camera settings. In the second image, I hope you can see that the dark areas inside the tightly folded petals of the rose are slightly brighter and more evenly lit. I did not use flash as I was too close for it to be effective.
Enter a humble piece of white paper.
I believe the results from using the paper has made for a more pleasing photo with minimal effort and expense.
arhphotographic 