Stages of a Lotus Flower Blooming at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, in Washington, D.C., is full of beautiful blooming lotus flowers each summer. They have pond after pond of these amazing plants.

This year I tried to capture as many of the stages of the lotus flower as I could. Below are the results of my attempts, along with some examples from previous years.

Unopened Lotus Bud

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Unopened lotus bud at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

The earliest stage of the lotus flower I captured is the unopened bud. In this example you can see some of the folded up petals already turning pink. It won’t be long before this bud begins to open.

Newly Opened Lotus Flower

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This lotus flower hasn’t been open long.

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Newly opened lotus flower at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Finally, the bud has opened. Early morning light can work so well with these flowers, causing the petals to almost glow at times. You can still see green on the lower petals, which would have been the outer layer of the bud. I love the dark pink of the center since it’s still mostly in shadow.

Blooming Lotus Flower

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Blooming lotus flower at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

Now the lotus flower is blooming, almost fully open. The center is more open, less in shadow, but still a deeper pink than the outer petals. The out of focus green leaves of the lotus plant make beautiful backgrounds for the pink flowers.

Fully Open Lotus Flower

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A beautiful, fully open lotus flower with a bumble bee buzzing into the center.

Lotus flowers can be so beautiful when fully open. This is one of my favorite photographs of a lotus flower, with a bumble bee flying in towards the center. This photo makes a beautiful print and can be purchased from my online store.

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Fully open lotus flower at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

This lotus flower is fully open. In fact, it is at the later stages of being fully open, when it begins losing its petals. Notice the shape of the yellow center, with all the darker yellow dimples on the top. The seeds will form under these dimples. 

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Closeup of the center of an open lotus flower.

It’s a little later in the day now and there were very few clouds in the sky, so you can see shadows forming on the petals. They lose the ethereal glow seen on the earlier flowers which were created a little earlier, and possibly when the sun was behind a cloud.

Green (Unopened) Lotus Seed Pod

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Green lotus seed pod after the petals have fallen.

Now the petals of the lotus flower have fallen, leaving behind the central seed pod which has turned green. This one still has some of the hair-like portion that forms at the base of the center. I didn’t notice until later there is an insect flying just under the seed pod on the left. 

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A large lotus seed pod, not yet opened.

This photo shows a larger seed pod, later in its development. Behind it is the blurred pink of a still blooming lotus.

Opened Lotus Seed Pod

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Opened lotus seed pods.

In this stage the center section will dry up and turn brown. That’s beginning to happen in this photo, though the pod is still mostly green. Those dimples we saw on the top on the fully green seed pods have opened, revealing the seeds. The brown seed pods are sometimes used in flower arrangements.

Bonus: Lotus Flowers Dancing in the Wind

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A pair of lotus flowers dancing in the wind, using a slow shutter speed to capture the motion blur.

Finally, as an added bonus, here are a pair of lotus flowers dancing in the wind. As the day progressed the wind began to pick up, making it more and more difficult to photograph the lotus blossoms without motion blur.

Lotus Blossoms Dancing in the Wind is available for order as wall art or on a variety of other products.

So instead of getting aggravated, I decided to go with the flow and intentionally slowed my shutter speed to make the most of the motion blur caused by the wind. I certainly wouldn’t consider this an award winning photograph, but it was fun creating. You never really know what you’ll get when you try these sorts of experiments.

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National Geographic Stunning Photographs by Annie Griffiths - Review

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. This is at no extra cost to you.

Cover of the book, National Geographic Stunning Photographs, by Annie Griffiths

National Geographic’s Stunning Photographs is an appropriately titled book. In its 400 pages you’ll find a large collection of stunning photographs created by National Geographic photographers.

“A stunning image is one that makes the viewer halt, look again, and connect on an emotional level.”

— Annie Griffiths

In Stunning Photographs the emphasis is on the photography, but each section of the book is preceded by an introduction written by Annie Griffiths, who is also a National Geographic photographer. I dislike how the introductions are laid out, with paragraphs blending into one another, but I think they are worth reading.

The book is separated into themed sections, with the introduction and all the photographs in that section matching the theme in some way. And as with the National Geographic magazine there is a very wide range to the photographs, both in subject and style. One thing they all have in common is that they are excellent photographs.

Mystery

Pages 54-55 of Stunning Photographs, in the section titled: Mystery.

“Other photographs are imbued with atmosphere or mystery that haunts us long after we first see them.”

— Annie Griffiths

These are photos we ask questions about. What are we looking at? Who is that person and what are they doing? Is that a snake in the sand? Or thousands of fireflies illuminating a forest, as in the photo above by Tsuneaki Hiramatsu created near Okayama, Japan?

Harmony

Pages 100-101 of Stunning Photographs, in the section titled: Harmony

“There is a balance beyond symmetry that silently elevates the subject of the photograph.”

— Annie Griffiths

Harmony implies a sense of balance, perhaps of color, or symmetry, or placement of subject within the frame. You look at the photo and it just feels right. Many of these are very peaceful or contemplative images. The photo above, created by David Clapp, is of a still pond and autumn color in Grasmere, England.

Wit

Pages 176-177 of Stunning Photographs, in the section titled: Wit

“There are witty images that surprise and delight, as the familiar is translated into something fresh and remarkable.”

— Annie Griffiths

Many of these images will bring a smile to your face. Sometimes the scene, itself, is humorous. Other times it’s an interesting juxtoposition of elements. But wit can also by informative, as in the example above of a half-shorn sheep in Victoria, Australia. The image was created by Cary Wolinsky who wanted to show how much wool a sheep grows in a season.

Discovery

Pages 234-235 of Stunning Photographs, in the section titled: Discovery

“Discovery is one part curiosity, one part genius, and two parts tenacity.”

— Annie Griffiths

This is what National Geographic has always done so well. Taking us someplace new. Showing us a scene we’ve never seen before. Portraying a creature or person in a way that wakes us up to the fact there is still so much to see in the world. The image above, created by Christian Klepp, is an ice cave in Iceland that looks almost otherworldly.

Energy

Pages 292-293 of Stunning Photographs, in the section titled: Energy

“These are the OMG images that quicken the pulse with the physics of fantastic.”

— Annie Griffiths

Here we get to experience what it might look like to be underfoot dozens of galloping horses. We see storms, fire, wind, crashing waves. We see movement and action. Mitch Dobrowner created the image above, of a tornado in Regan, North Dakota.

Intimacy

Pages 394-395 of Stunning Photographs, in the section titled: Intimacy

“Some photographs are so intimate that they take our breath away or move us to tears.”

— Annie Griffiths

Many of these images are peaceful, tranquil, like the image above of polar bears in Wapusk National Park, Canada, created by Jenny E. Ross. We can find something touching in the image, something human, even if there are no people in the frame.

From a technical perspective, the book is just over 10 inches square and over 1 inch thick. Some of the photographs fully span 2 pages, while the rest span most of the 2 pages but leave enough room for a quote from a photographer and information on the photographs, such as the photographer, location, and a brief description.

National Geographic Stunning Photographs is the type of book I love to own as an endless source of inspiration. Seek out a copy. Perhaps you will also find inspiration in its pages.

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Skipper Butterfly at Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve

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Skipper Butterfly (possibly Zabulon or Hobomok) on a leaf at Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve in Alexandria, Virginia.

Here is a small Skipper butterfly I photographed at Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve in Alexandria, Virginia. I believe it is a Zabulon Skipper, but it might be a Hobomok Skipper. There are so many species of Skipper and some can be difficult to tell apart.

Skippers tend to be small butterflies, and they have a distinctive look when they land, often folding up their wings in little triangular patterns. They are called skippers because of how they fly, quickly skipping around.

I found this one perched on a leaf in some brush along a trail that parallels the edge of the Potomac River, with a small wooded area just beyond. I’ve read the males often sit on leaves watching for females, so perhaps this was a male Skipper.

If you happen to know exactly what species of Skipper this is please comment below and let me know. What markers did you use to identify it?

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