They are irresistible, I think. And with many other things, are all just a bit different.
I liked the subtle warm glow reflecting off the inner petals.
This flower was absolutely gorgeous and deserving of a portrait.
Both shots were with the new 100-400 “macro” lens. 🙂
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
They’re gorgeous and its lovely to see a photo each of the white and the pink.
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Thanks, Liz. I had that one earlier with both together, but I think I prefer to let them appear on their own. Each has its appeal. They are a subject I look forward to every year.
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My advice is to not stop with the water lilies. BTW, what 100 – 400 lens is it?
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Thanks for encouraging my habit. 🙂 It’s a Tamron. I looked at the Sigma but that doesn’t allow for a tripod mount foot. The Canon is out of my financial comfort zone.
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Its a good habit. I have the Tamron and I love it.
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Truly, they are both incredibly beautiful.
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Thanks, Ann. I’m glad that you enjoyed seeing them.
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Having the water go so dark is a plus.
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This pond is excellent for dark water.
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I’m with Michael–go ahead and feed that habit!
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Hi, Gary. It is a habit I don’t intend to stop.
For some reason I have not been getting notifications of your posts. I am not a fan of the reader so rely on WP sending me email notices. Looks like they failed me.
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Nope, it still works–it’s just that I’ve been too busy with other things, and haven’t posted in a while. I do intend to rectify this deficiency soon, though!
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Life has a way of filling our time.
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Don’t stop
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Yes, Ma’am! 🙂
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😀
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Stunning, Steve. Keep taking those waterlily photos. 😊
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Glad that you like my habit, Tanja. There’ll be more. 🙂
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Thankfully, some of us (all of us, perhaps) never grow tired viewing waterlilies, so I don’t think you need worry. Those longer focal lengths let you get in closer than you could otherwise, which can really help with subjects like waterlilies. Beautiful photos.
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I had considered the “macro” uses of a long lens although I admit to being frustrated by the lack of bird glass for my impetus to buy the 100-400. There is still a bit of water-lily season left so I am sure more will appear before October passes. Thanks, Todd.
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For whatever reason I discovered the macro aspect of long lenses by accident. I bought one as bird glass, as you mentioned. It was only after I had it and started pointing it at flowers and bugs that I realized it was more versatile than I’d realized. As you’ve also shown, it can be great with landscapes, too.
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I think I mentioned in as previous post about getting a shot of some water-lilies with my 180 while standing, with boots on, in leech infested waters while my shooting partner sat on a guard rail above getting pretty much the same exact framing with his 600. 🙂
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Those are both stunningly beautiful – both the photographs and the flowers themselves! 🙂
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Thank you, Ann. Lilies present such beautiful subjects.
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I especially like the detail where the bottom petals (or perhaps the sepals) touch the water. Your ability to catch the surface tension’s amazing: as interesting as the flowers are beautiful. I tried using my 70-300mm at the little lake where I found so many lilies, but the general environment there seems to be different. There’s a lot of clutter in the water (natural, not trash) and I’ve yet to get a photo of a clean lily (as opposed to a clean photo of a lily).
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I will admit to sometimes encouraging some of the extra leaves to float elsewhere. Mostly I extend my tripod to nudge them aside which usually is enough to clear things up a bit. I always try to capture some of the sepal reflections and occasionally there is some surface tension as well. One advantage of shooting at this site is how dark the water can be. The pond is surrounded by tall trees so it takes several hours for the sun to crest them and the water to brighten. That really allows the flower to pop out of the background..
Regarding clutter, this pond does have the occasional floating beer cans but not too many. I used to shoot frogs at a local lotus pond (so lotuses too), now long overgrown after the death of the owner, Despite her love of plants and the frogs in her pond, she used a commercial landscaper to maintain her lawn surrounding the pond. Aside from the chemicals they used, their mowing often left the pond, the lotus pads and the frogs themselves covered with grass clippings. Fortunately Moosehorn Pond is spared that.
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I have to pay attention to the enthusiastic yard crew at work, too. When they crank up their blowers to remove every speck of grass from the sidewalks and bulkhead edging, that grass can really fly, and fresh varnish seems to attract it.
I do an occasional re-arrangement of the area surrounding a subject myself: usually by removing bits of human trash, or the occasional twig or leaf. It makes perfect sense that you’d scooch an occasional lily pad away. I don’t think that detracts from the final image at all.
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My gardening usual is just leaf arrangement or flicking dirt off a subject. Just things that could occur naturally. Some of those pads are pretty resistant to relocation and float back to their original position just as I am about to make the exposure. 🙂
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Don’t stop! They are just so beautiful, and of course each is different.
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We’ll see. The pads are starting to decay but sometimes, even without the use of a tripod leg, just one flower will be floating by itself and the season isn’t over yet.
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