Thanks guys 
Yea I make photos of the leafs and throw a load of photoshop at it (both manually and some filters/adjustments).
I basically collect the leafs I want to photograph and put those under some heavy books to flatten them out a bit (sometimes due to the shape there is a small overlap/crack in them but photoshop ftw).
I then place them on a black surface on the floor in my backyard… (and hope for a liiitle bit of clouds so the lighting is a bit more diffuse… Sure it would be better to have some pro lighting gear… but currently cant afford that)
Get my camera + some gear that allows me to make photos from top down and use a remote to make sure my camera doesnt jiggle/move.
Result before editing: (original is a 4k/4k photo)
Result after editing:
With mask:
My goal is to minimize any dark or washed out spots and depending on the reflectiveness on the leaf that can take some work.
I should really get a filter for that by editing some cheap 3d glasses but haven’t had the time.
Hope that helps