BALANCE

Very nice. You placed the focus in the right place with an appropriate DOF. It's pretty and I like the colors. I wonder about whether or not it would look better if a little were cropped off of the bottom?

Reflections are very compelling to photograph and I've seen some very good ones, but I still struggle with deciding where to put the horizon. 

Thankyou Chuck for your visit and sharing your thoughts with me. I  think it probably would look fine cropped off as well. I posted this as I had composed it for my daughter at her request.

I'll try one with your suggested crop - thanks for advice,

warm regards, Gail

many thanks for your visit Steve and your suggestions, I do appreciate your input very much.

Most sincerely, Gail

There is an image about 4 away from this that is larger, if that helps. So nice of you to visit Jamie and I do appreciate your input.

Warm regards, Gail

Your visit is much appreciated Amal. So nice to hear from you, your support and input is always welcomed.

Kind regards, Gail

Dear Gail, This is such a beautiful reflective shot. It has many fine qualities including lovely bg blur and very good color tones. I think what I like best is the solitude of the two flowers. Alone, yes but not unobserved. Very nice work. Take care Gail.

Best Always,

Holger

The tone of this image compliments the nicely placed and beautiful flower. Likewise the reflection adds impact to the composition. Excellent shot, Gail

Best regards!  -  Lester

This is not a lotus. Lotus leaves are held above the water and are not cleft.  This plant is a tropical blue water lily.

This is very nice , BR

 

Ali

I'm happy to meet you again...and with a so beautiful composition!

Thankyou very much Gordon for informing me that this is not a Lotus. I was informed by one of the 'gardeners' at Brookgreen that this was a Lotus. I asked because there were older -  rotting Lotus plants, very tall with the mature pods on them. He said that because of the lingering warm weather it was possible this was a second (Autumn) bloom. When I asked why the leaves were not standing further out of the water, he informed me that in some of the varieties the leaves lay flat at first then begin to raise above the water. Because a few days of thunderstorms, and cool temp's were on their way towards the coast, it was possible that they would not last long

 As for the exact 'variety', he was not able to identify it for me. I had hoped to enquire at the Gift Shop where they had quite a few books on the Gardens, but it was a few minutes before closing time. Unfortunately we discovered this beautiful place on the last day of our vacation. Had we known about it sooner, I would have been able to visit quite a few times as admission cost us $24.00 but that covered 7 days of visiting.

I looked on the Internet and found a site with a similar 'plant', an Evening Showers Lotus, where the leaves are still laying on the water.  http://www.waterplants.com/cgi-bin/db.cgi?LOTUS&&sf1=Category . However it is totally possible that I was misinformed, I do apologise if I am wrong in the identification of this 'water plant', I truely had no intention of misinforming anyone.

Sincere regards, Gail

Hi Gail,

There are two species of lotus, both within the genus Nelumbo , the Indian lotus Nelumbo nucifera and the N.A. species Nelumbo lutea.  The plant in your photo is one of the many popular strains of Nymphaea caerulea , the tropical blue waterlily. In years gone by I cultivated all three of these plants in my water gardens.  Both species of Nelumbo as well as  Nymphaea caerulea will grow and bloom at our latitude, although none, with the possible exception of lutea, are winter hardy. They must be brought indoors each fall and kept dormant until the following spring. Lotus are more demanding, however the tropical blues grow like weeds producing a large number of tubers each summer each of which can produce another plant. You can even grow tropical blue lilies in a small tub or pail of water in a sunny location. They can look quite nice placed on a deck.

As for the gentleman at Brookgreen gardens all I can say is that from my experience people other than botanists will often lump plants together via common names into a genus from which they do not belong. I know my neighbors regular identify a number of local wildflowers as orchids, based on common names, despite none of them being orchids. A local species of Impatiens Impatiens capensis often being referred to as a jewel orchid despite its not being an orchid at all. Such is the nature of common names.

BTW the gardener was correct in as much as the first leaves of the Nelumbo, upon the tuber breaking dormancy, do float on the surface rather than being held above the water.The blossoms of Nymphaea caerulea are held above the water however the leaves always float on the surface.

The plant you linked to is a variety of Nelumbo nucifera. These have been hybridized for centuries and there are a multitude of named cultivars.

My thanks once more for all your very useful information. I have not had experience with water plants and your background in cultivating them was both fascinating and informative.

I love water gardens, ponds and bog habitats. Over the years we 'toyed' with the thought of putting in a small pond, but my lower back no longer appreciates my passion for gardening. I do enjoy a limited amount of gardening during the warmer months, but I mostly satisfy my love of flowers by capturing shots in my neighbors gardens, local garden centres, and of course, places visited while on vacation.

Once again, my sincere thanks for sharing your 'knowledge' with me. It is much appreciated.

Warm regards, Gail

Your shot,Gail,really transcends the tranquility you witnessed in this pond and the lotus blossom reflection is a priceless bonus ,confirming the image's titling. With lots of regards,Chris

Such a sublime image, Gail, the symmetry, the DOF, the overwhelming sense of calm. Nice work.

Hi Gail, this is a beautiful image of the Lotus, also one of my favourites. They tend to photograph just beautifully, this one looks so peaceful just sitting there, I very much like what you've done with the tone. I can see a short crop at the bottom could slightly enhance this photograph but that's just my opinion. I think you would know what you like in an image. Haven't been around much as I have been so busy doing restoration photos, they are so time-consuming but I enjoy it and it pays the bills. I will go back through some of your posts of late I'm sure I have missed quite a few, there is just not enough hours in the day. Just a wonderful image Gail all the best Grant.

You seem to have a special affinity for water plants (whether they be water lillies or lotuses :-)) ) and you always draw out their beauty in your pictures. There have been some others of yours in the past that also caught me so maybe I share the same fondness.

The cropping suggestions are unlimited, but with so many permutations available for this image I think the crop that you like best is the one to stick with. The thing that strikes me about the image is the sense of warmth and brightness that it manages to convey. Photographing water in the middle of a bright summers day is quite a challenge. But you have not only managed the light conditions well, but also used them to great advantage by displaying them as a silvery sheen from which the beautiful flower emerges. Very well done Gail!

Warm Regards

Alf  

 

Beautiful shot Gail. Love the placement & colour tones.

Best regards.

Sagnik

It's just great! Gorgeous shot and very inspiring title. What lse can I say when all had been said. 

Regards.

Cosmin

Your kind remarks are appreciated very much Cosmin, as is your visit. Always a pleasure to hear from you. Encouragement is always welcome.

Warmest regards, Gail

Thankyou so much for taking the time to visit and convey your thoughts on this image. Your kind words of critique are very much appreciated, as well as encouraging.

My sincere thanks, Gail

Thank you Alf for taking the time to convey your thoughts on this image. Your advice is always well taken and your words always encourage, especially when they convey your appreciation of the image.

This journey is a 'never ending story' so to speak. So much knowledge to absorb, but truly is enjoyable.

Thankyou for taking the time to share your thoughts Alf, always appreciated.

Warmest regards, Gail

How nice to hear you enjoy water plants as well. I imagine you would see even more of these types of flowers where you live. Not only are they beautiful, but usually because of where they are planted, the surroundings seem to be so much more tranquil. Always lovely when you  can find this type of atmosphere to spend some time in.

Thanks so much Jack for visiting, always enjoy hearing from you.

Sincere regards, Gail

Gail: WOW!!!!!!