More Lilies...Water Lilies This Time

I've had lilies on my mind lately, but this week I got the opportunity to shoot a different kind, the water lily.

A friend invited me to her lake property and said she had a patch of water lilies just off her deck.  I looked forward to photographing them.

Water lilies can be somewhat challenging to photograph.  They typically don't open up until mid-morning, and then they close mid to late afternoon.  Each flower lasts just a few days before settling under the water to rot.

As we watched the lily pads begin to open, I was excited to see their lovely flowers.

I was a little frustrated though because I was eager to see the inner workings of the lily.  I considered wading into the water to photograph it from the top, but my friend discouraged me from doing that because the water was mucky.  

Then I got a little help from the wind and a jet ski.  As the wind picked up and the jet ski created some wake, the lilies began to bounce around in the water in several directions.

I was lucky to catch the full view as the flower tilted in my direction.

Such a beautiful flower!  No wonder Monet made them one of his favorite subjects to paint.