NYMPHÉAS
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My brother once asked what my favorite flower was. I couldn't say, but I now know. For many reasons--its watery environment, its expressive bloom, its metaphor of rising above--the waterlily, or lotus, is the flower for which I feel the most affinity. Photographing waterlilies is a challenge, but one I happily meet whenever I can find a place where gardeners tend to their own challenges.
The first waterlilies I ever photographed were also the most famous--those in Monet's gardens in Giverny. They weren't out the mid-May morning I began my shoot, so I feared it was too early in the season. But by afternoon, I was delighted to see the famous nymphéas (French for waterlily) had popped open.
In July 2002, I presented a one-woman show called "Nymphéas" in Nashville's Centennial Art Center. These are some of the images in that exhibit, shot in Giverny as well as San Diego, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville, and my hometown of Cookeville, Tennessee.
Monet's Waterlilies, Giverny
Lotus Rain
Lotus Reflection
The Jewel in the Lotus
Lotus in the Mud
Lotus Rising
Attraction
Koi with Waterlilies
Lily Pads
Lotus Bouquet
Water Lily Pool--Starlight
Water Lily Pool--Sunset