Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Leaning out over the water and zooming in close on these water lilies opened up a world of intrigue for me. Beauty and life, condensed.
Any feedback welcomed,
200mm at f4.5, 1/125 sec at ISO 400, hand-held
Very nice, Ric! 
This is gorgeous! I’m a big fan of water lilies.
The soft lighting works really well and the glimpses of the underlying seeds, stems, leaves, etc. adds depth and interest.
The colors are great, and the details and textures are equally as good.
The waterdrops are icing on the cake so to speak and the refractions add interest, although, I didn’t see any self portraits in those drops 
I’m glad you didn’t lean out too far!
I love it when the process of making an image intrigues me like this did for you and I agree, beauty and life condensed is a great way to describe this scene.
Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful!! The greens, with the mix of yellows and sky blue, and the rich, deep blues of the water feel just right to me, and the water drops are perfect! The lily pads are so clean, and you found a wonderful framing – the edges all have partial lily pads but they are symmetrical or balanced in the way they are cut so it’s not a distraction. Very well done!
[quote=“Mervin Rosenquist, post:2, topic:35011, username:Merv”]
… the details and textures are equally as good.The waterdrops are icing on the cake so to speak and the refractions add interest, although, I didn’t see any self portraits in those drops I’m glad you didn’t lean out too far! I love it when the process of making an image intrigues me like this did for you and I agree, beauty and life condensed is a great way to describe this scene.Thanks for sharing!
[/quote]Thanks so much, Merv! I really appreciate the feedback, and am so glad the image resonated with you. I definitely have an emotional attachment to it but that doesn’t always convey to the viewer.
Thank you, Diane! I’m really glad you liked the image, and I particularly appreciate your observations regarding the composition and framing. I really tried to make this just “tight enough”.
Ric, the fresh leaves, the water drops and the blue sky reflection look great. This is a very inviting abstract, with lots of details to explore. BTW, if these leaves are about 2 inches by 1.5 inches, then I think they may be a water plant called Water Shield ( Brasenia schreberi), check that out and see what you think, then you’ll be in position to look for the flowers a bit later in the spring.
Thanks, Mark. I appreciate the feedback. As far as the dimensions go I think that sounds about right, so I’ll do a little research and check them again soon.
This is quite lovely Ric! I think you did a great job with the framing as the pads are spaced out beautifully around the frame. The water drops are eye candy and make for another wonderful element in this scene. My only suggestion; and this is just my personal preference; would be to dial back the saturation just a little. Very nicely done.
Thank you, Ed! I appreciate your comments on this image and am glad you like it!
A lovely shot. The more I look at it, what seems like a simple composition, begins to take on a complexity that honors both simplicity & complexity. It is lively, having motion, yet the individual leaf forms have an individuality, in their shape and composition with each other. Those companion water droplets add depth and also even humor to the shot. Each leaf is like a unique family. Good work.
Hi, @Harvey_Spears . Thank you so much for your comments and observations about my image. It is always gratifying to learn something about what others see in my photographs. I learn about my own work and vision that way, which is another reason I’m so grateful for the NPN community.
Ric: what an absolutely great use of color and form. Strong color in the lily pads as well as the water and strong form in the shapes of the pads and the water droplets. Well done!
Thank you, @Richard_Sandor! I really appreciate your comments. This image is definitely one of my favorites.
