green leaf on body water with water droplets

On my way home from work I stopped at a small pond. It was autumn and cloudy and the air was perfectly still. The water was a perfect charcoal grey. A light rain had stopped just an hour before. And there was this solitary lily pad. I used a very long lens, moderately small aperture, and slow shutter speed (and a very good tripod). I wanted to compress the image front-to-back to make the lily strangely two-dimensional and ethereal. I have been a professional shooter for over 30 years, and this is one of the most satisfying shots I’ve ever made.