“The lotus flower blooms most beautifully from the deepest and thickest mud.” – Buddhist Proverb

During the summer months, my favorite gardens are water gardens featuring waterlilies and lotus blossoms.  This image is based on a lotus photo taken at one of my beloved summer garden spots.  Lotus plants are extraordinary for a number of reasons.  Of course, the fact that the lotus blossom grows and emerges from the mud is noteworthy, as is its symbolic relationship with a variety of spiritual practices.  In addition, the huge leaves and dried seedpods from spent blossoms are attention grabbers.  My goal with this image was to create a peaceful, meditative scene.  The beautiful morning light illuminated the pink blossom, and I was able to include the beautifully textured leaves.  The downside of shooting water gardens is that the backgrounds can be rather chaotic, but here I was able to apply artistic textures to obscure the unsightly or distracting elements.  The lighting is also enhanced to provide a beautiful soft glow.