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In yesterday's post about my first summer visit to the Kajuji Temple (勧修寺) in Kyoto, I mentioned that it was much more “Alive” than in the bleak of winter. It's got a lot of animal life, but this post highlights some of the botanical life.
As far as I can tell, the lifespan of the lotus brings its flower through a few visually-distinct stages, but it's difficult to be sure exactly what's going on...
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 220 — map & image data — nearby photos
the Kajuji Temple lets you get right in there
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/160 sec, f/8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
of the funky tree mentioned in the first post
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 5000 — map & image data — nearby photos
are not fiery in summer, but they will be
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
is the one thing that seems less alive than it did in winter,
at least as far as the “corky wing” things go
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
The white water lilies were unfortunately only at a distance
E-P2 + LUMIX G VARIO 45-200/F4-5.6 at an effective 90mm — 1/3200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
photo by Nicolas Joannin
The pink bud opening in the photo above is the same one seen at the top of this post, and in the next image, which looks in through the top to focus on the makes-your-skin-crawl seed pod...
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/11, ISO 5000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looking at these make me feel decidedly uneasy
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/800 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
from the side
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Glad you are getting decent weather – in most of the UK it’s turning into the year without a summer, so far anyway. Someone has to point out that your water lilies and lotuses are getting mixed up: the ones with leaves and flowers held above the water, with the “creepy” seed pods (I suppose their beauty is in their design), and with leaf-stalks attached to the centre of the leaf are lotuses; the white flowers sitting on the water are water lilies – not related at all. And Grandma Friedl is quite right, of course, the water lilies look to be in need of thinning out a bit! I don’t know if the same applies to lotuses, but I expect so.
You mean that I have them exactly backwards? I thought I knew what a lotus was (e.g. this), and so figured that the ones I could see up close weren’t that, so must be the water lilies. I’ve gone back and updated the text of the article to swap the various references, so hopefully now it reflects reality, thanks. —Jeffrey
These pink flowers actually are Nelumbo nucifera, often mistaken for Nymphaea (water lillies). I konw them so well because time ago some prince with nothing better to spend his money on, imported them to Florence, Italy where the still live and thrive in several ponds two centuries later. Wikepedia has a good writeup about Nelumbos.
Awesome shots. Also, regarding your “uneasy” comment, Google “Trypophobia.”
For example, http://www.popsci.com/science/gallery/2011-07/trypophobia
“What it Becomes” would have made a great “What am I?” post. Just sayin’.