Cindy Lynch
April 2026 - Water Lily Bud
About the Image(s)
I look forward to the waterlilies season at our Botanical Garden each year. I got there early in the morning for good light. I thought this would look good was a monochrome because it showed more dramatic lighting and range of tones. Settings: F/8, ISO 500, 1/400 and 250 mm focal length.
6 comments posted
Cindy, a beautiful image - I love the side light, it is almost magical the way it highlights the texture of the bud. You have achieved good tonal range and depth of field. I do like the softness of the background foliage but find the bits surrounding the bud a bit of a distraction/detraction. I took the liberty of masking some of it out in PS and am not completely happy with my suggested result either but perhaps there is a middle ground? Posted: 04/05/2026 04:05:55
That's why this group is so good. I never noticed the distraction around the bud until you said something and now I do! I tried fixing it. It's not much different than your edit, but I like it better than my original. Posted: 04/06/2026 16:55:30
I actually like yours better than mine, Cindy. That little bit of foliage just to the right of the bulb, I think, gives more balance to the composition. Posted: 04/07/2026 05:27:04
Great capture….For me this is one of those images that demands attention and the more one looks at it the more is revealed and the more interesting it becomes. Agree with Lorna that the natural side lighting is really effective in drawing the viewer into the image. The bud is perfectly sharp and detailed. Clearly you took this image in nature … you've handled it so well as you do with the controlled environment of your still life shots.
Considering Lorna's question, I wonder how it would look if your camera was a bit lower …. You could still get the bud and the stem and there might be less distraction from the leaves. Posted: 04/06/2026 12:54:23
Considering Lorna's question, I wonder how it would look if your camera was a bit lower …. You could still get the bud and the stem and there might be less distraction from the leaves. Posted: 04/06/2026 12:54:23
Point well taken. So hard to get a less distracting background at the Botanical garden. Thanks. Posted: 04/06/2026 16:56:26
Cindy, another great floral image!
How close can you get to the flowers? If you can get close you could experiment with a fast 40mm or 50mm lens to focus on the bloom an separate it from the background. If you have a macro lens, these are great subjects for it, again you'll get separation from the background, and a 100mm Macro will give you some reach. Posted: 04/10/2026 02:07:07
How close can you get to the flowers? If you can get close you could experiment with a fast 40mm or 50mm lens to focus on the bloom an separate it from the background. If you have a macro lens, these are great subjects for it, again you'll get separation from the background, and a 100mm Macro will give you some reach. Posted: 04/10/2026 02:07:07