Water lily (again)

I'm a sucker for water lilies. Whenever I see them I search for an example that is free of ragged leaves, discoloured flowers and intrusive insects. Recently I came across an example that isn't perfect but is as close as I'm likely to get to that flawless state. It was in the ornamental pond at Bathurst Park, Lydney, Gloucs and was a rather fetching tint of pink rather than the usual white.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P950

Newly appearing water plants

One of the houses we lived in had a pond with water lilies. I very much enjoyed photographing the lilies as they appeard in spring. But, more than that, I particularly enjoyed photographing them as they changed colour and faded away in autumn. I was reminded of that pond when we passed the weir on the Mill Avon at Tewkesbury. Water lily leaves were appearing. So too was another plant that produces, if my memory serves me well, broad spear-shaped leaves. They weren't yet filling this part of the river as they eventually will, so I took a photograph of the contrasting plants and their reflections.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Water lilies

The white water lily (Nymphaea alba) is the UK's largest wild flower. It is a very popular plant and is more usually found in garden ponds than the cultivated varieties that have coloured petals. A number of ponds in the Forest of Dean and surrounding areas have the wild lilies in them.

 However, when we were walking in the nearby Dymock Forest we came upon a pond that had a water lilies with pink petals as well as the commoner white variety. They must have been an introduction by someone seeking to beautify the stretch of water.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

The imperfect water lily

For many years we lived in a house with a pond that featured water lilies. They made a great subject for photography because from the time they began to appear below the surface of the water in spring, to their last autumnal gasp, they offered an interesting subject for the camera. Interesting, that is, if you liked imperfection and decay because the "classic", perfect water lily flower and leaves was either non-existent or so fleeting that if you blinked you missed it. In fact, by the time the flowers were displaying their full beauty a series of dead or part eaten leaves usually accompanied them. But, I didn't mind that, as these photographs show. The water lily above may look near perfect - I thought it was, hence the shot - but the outer petals are becoming discoloured and traces of dead leaves can be seen.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Water lily

We used to live in a house with a pond that had water lilies. It was at this time that I found them to be good photographic subjects through most of the year, and especially in autumn when the leaves were dying off. Of course, when most people think of this plant they picture the large, beautiful flower, and I wasn't impervious to their attraction as a subject for the camera. Consequently when I came upon this one in Cannop Ponds I took a photograph. What particularly prompted my interest was the muted colours of the reflected sky and the leaves due to the position of the sun.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100