Hi John,
The altered photo is stunning of the spires themselves. Does it heighten my appreciation of the plant itself, not really. I can't see the stalk or leaves which is a part of the plant. I would suggest to just try to do a closeup of either the plant or one flower spike and throw the background way out of focus. Definitely change your position because there is way too much clutter in the background: the chair backs, the window and window shutter, the white 5 gallon bucket, the little table, the clay pot, and definitely the white light beyond the house. With some work you can do this!
