summer vacation | wickford,ri water lilies

as you make your way into the village of wickford, rhode island from the neighboring town of narragansett, you pass a small pond on the left that has an even smaller waterway to the bay on the right-hand side of the road.  for most of the year, this little waterway is non-descript and nearly an eyesore.  the road slumps and crumbles away at the shoulder as it meets the sandy patch where the grass has been worn away for, what seems like, forever.  power lines, old billboards and the fish ladder fencing all do their best to avert your eyes and as you focus on the goal of getting to the quaint wickford shops, you're likely to drive on by without so much as a noticing what lies on the side of the road.

but when july rolls around, the tiny waterway explodes with beauty! the giant water lilies emerge to inspire painters, photographers and travelers alike.  the sandy side of the road becomes packed with cars and tourists, all there to witness the incredible marvel that is only seen for a few weeks...or days, depending on the weather. the waterway overflows with flowers the size of frisbees and green, lush leaves that are just yearning to touch the bright blue sky.  everything about the little spot is mystifying, even the pods from the spent blooms.

while i've seen the water lilies from the car many times (always saying 'ooooh, the water lilies!' as we pass by), i don't think i've stopped to fully appreciate them in years. we were so lucky to have a bright and clear morning with just a few folks milling around the spot.  the flowers had had a bit of a beating from recent rain, but i thought everything about them was just awesome, i could've stayed there all day!

the dragonfly above was following me around so i guess he wanted his picture taken! so neat to be able to get so up close to him - i was using my 50mm lens, no zooming here, which meant i was standing nearly in the water!

a note on the image below, right.  i'm usually not a fan of selective coloring. at all. it's just not my style, but the green leaves are so fantastically bright, and nearly overwhelming, that i wanted to make sure the lilies got a chance to shine on their own. even if it gave lightroom a panic attack thinking i was going to save a selective editing preset, ha no thanks!

a group of older ladies had stopped to take some pictures and one offered to snap a shot of me and my momma.  i think she did a darn good job given that she couldn't grasp the concept of looking through the actual viewfinder ;-), haha. the next day, we drove by the lily grove and most of the open petals had been knocked off in the overnight rain.  such a good thing we stopped when we did! be sure you don't miss out next time you're near town!

well, that wraps up my rhode island summer vacation posts! if you missed any of the previous posts, be sure to check them out here and here!  

also, while i love using my real camera, there are times that you just need a quick iphone fix.  so take a peek at my instagram feed for a different perspective of my adventures (also accessible from the banner at the top of my site)!

reminder - based on some recent requests, i'm making some of my personal pictures available for purchase.  they are at a discounted price, no minimum order size, and all prints will be presented matted with a small signature.  if you're interested, please visit my sales site.  If you're looking for a specific image that's not listed in stock, leave a comment or send me an email and i'll be happy to make it happen!! thanks!