Where Time Stands Still by Dawne Olson
I’ve been to Eppley airfield in Omaha Nebraska several times. I never stopped to look closely at Carter lake which lies on the other side of the street to the terminal entrance. Today while bringing my Canadian friend to Omaha for his return flight to Ottawa, we decided to “drive through” and check out this small lake with the outline of the city as a backdrop before saying farewell. Walking over the small knoll in the parking lot, we were met by an enormous expanse of water lilies – of a kind I have never seen before in my life. Cameras and tripods were at the ready, and we spent quite a bit of time photographing the area before suddenly realizing that we had not checked the time for several minutes. The sudden awareness of a possible missed flight threw us into a frenzy of gathering up equipment and rushing across the street. Flushed from the heat and with the images from the previous hour forgotten, I waved goodbye to my friend as he jogged down the long hall toward his departure gate. Hours later, I opened my files on my camera to find these beautiful lilies and a bittersweet joy flooded my heart as I realized how precious are the times when time stands still. 
Comments
This is absolutely beautiful!!
Thank you Patricia!
– Dawne Olson
Wow Dawne this is fantastic! Nice clearity! Love it!
Thank you! (I was balanced quite precariously at the waters edge… tripod actually IN the water to nab this beauty)
– Dawne Olson
great clarity in this shot, very pretty image you have captured here,
Thank you for the comment!
– Dawne Olson
a beauty for sure, abulously captured by you, terific story to go along with it.
Thanks so much John! Appreciate your comment and taking time to read my elaboration as well! :0)
– Dawne Olson
G’day Dawne,
This is not a Waterlily but a Lotus. Look up the difference in Google, it makes interesting reading. 8-)
But whatever it is, you have photographed it beautifully.
Good light and exposure, sharp focus, good depth of field, lovely natural colours, nice contrast, good composition and a nice presentation.
What more could a poor girl ask for? ;-)
GB
Dennis
Thanks Dennis! I will definately check that out. I have never had the opportunity to photograph this plant before and just assummed “water lily”. I’ll look it up and post corrections as needed!
– Dawne Olson
The image I have posted above is known as the American Lotus. It is also known as water chinquapin, yonkapin, alligator button, duck acorn and volee. Its scientific name is Nelumbo lutea (lutea is latin for “yellow”). According to Wikipedia, the names “water lily” and “lotus” are used interchangeably but close examination of the plant division, order, genus and species classification indicate they are actually different. The water lily is of the division ANGIOSPERMAE and the lotus is of the division MAGNOLIOPSIDA. The plant tubers and roots can be boiled and eaten as a starchy food and the brown seeds, or nuts, can be roasted like chestnuts!
Held sacred by many cultures, the lotus and water lily are believed to have mystic powers and are symbolic of faithfulness, purity and rising above adversity.
Oil from the lotus is claimed to assist in calming the mind, aiding in concentration, and beneficial in correcting emotional imbalances. Among many other meanings and uses I discovered to be prevelant in various cultures I found the following to be most relevant to me personally:
“The Chinese have always loved lotus flowers. They are thought of as being like gentlepersons, who keeps themselves clean, alive and healthy in a dirty environment. Essentially the lotus flower represents creative power and purity amid adverse surroundings. It is also a symbol of the seventh month, summer. In China, there are many poems about the lotus flower, often describing how they come out of the dirty mud under the water and yet retain their pureness, freshness and beauty.
An Old Chinese Poem:
“The leaves break the bandage of the green stem, stretch themselves and form a green pool with untidy edges. Now the flower comes from out of the vast surface of the water, just like a very beautiful woman coming gracefully from her bath.”
Chinese poets also use lotus flowers to inspire people to continue striving through difficulties and to show their best part to the outside world, no matter how bad the circumstances may be. This is understood as being just like the lotus flower, bringing beauty and light from the murky darkness at the bottom of the pond.
Another symbolic characteristic of the lotus flower leads from the observation that the plant’s stalk is easy to bend in two, but is very hard to break because of its many strong sinuous fibres. Poets use this to represent a close unbreakable relationship between two lovers or the members within a family, showing that no matter how far away they might live nothing can really separate them in heart. "
(excerpt from http://www.newsfinder.org/site/more/lotus_the_f... )
Sorry I don’t know how to create links!
Amazing clear…and…crisp shot…good camera work !
Thank you Sharon!
– Dawne Olson
Gorgeous!!! So true also!!
This is very beautiful! Wonderful lighting and capture!!
Absolutely delightful, I love this Dawn, beautiful composition and the light is just right!
Thank you Shirly…I know how you love the flowers.. so many beauties in your portfolio!
– Dawne Olson