The Dying Lotus
By Richard Seah
14 June 2008
The lotus is a flower that has inspired many photographers in Asia.
I have come across three photography books dedicated solely to this flower.
One is by a Korean Buddhist monk Son Am, who spent 27 years photographing the flower in China, Taiwan, Japan and Sri Lanka (and presumably in Korea too).
Another is by Hugo Aik, who might be known to audiophiles and music lovers as the Hong Kong entrepreneur (actually he originated from Singapore) behind the Hugo label of audiophile quality CDs.
The third is by a prominent member of the Malaysian Photographic Society who spent three years shooting the lotus at various ponds across the country.
The lotus holds a special place in Buddhist philosophy, its significance steming from the fact that it is a beautiful and "pure" flower that arises out of muddy, often dirty, waters.
The lotus is indeed beautiful.
My own fascination with the lotus began some years ago when a friend requested a lotus flower image. I had only taken one previously, but could not find it.
And so I began a search for lotus ponds and was surprised to find two of them quite close to my home, in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore.
My humble offering here is selected from just three photo shoots.
They show the glory and beauty of the lotus even as it approaches death.
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