Magnolia on the Rocks

I captured my newest favorite magnolia picture right here at home.  After spending several frustrating minutes trying to take a picture of a Little Gem Magnolia blossom on one of our trees which was being blown "hither, thither, and yon" (don't you just love that expression!), I finally gave up, clipped the flower from the tree, and plopped it down in a makeshift plastic vase.  It wasn't pretty, but I was taking closeups and the container was for support only, so it didn't matter if it was pretty or not -- at least it was still! After a few minutes, I realized that I was bored and decided to try something different.  I took the magnolia clipping and put it in the small pond area of the water feature in our courtyard, and took several (about 60-70) pictures of it floating around the pond.  Magnolias are beautiful in any setting, but now it was much more interesting than it was when it was in that plastic vase! I love the contrast between the soft white petals and the rich earthy tones of the rocks in the background ... I like the transparent reflection of the white petals underneath the flower.   As I was shooting, I noticed that the magnolia was slowing turning in circles, as if it was trying to help me capture its best side ... The magnolia's final resting place of the day was on a rock in the pond, with the late afternoon sun shining on it like a spotlight.  And that's the story of how I captured my newest favorite Magnolia of the season.  Hopefully, it won't be my last.