I have not photographed Lotus flowers in over 20 years!:( I was very lucky to read an article about Echo Park's large Lotus collection, and their early bloom this year. My father and I drove to downtown LA, early on the 4th of July. The weather conditions were perfect for shooting flowers, over cast and cool. The beautiful shades of pink are just incredible, Lotus flowers are definitely my favorite flower to photograph. The only problem is that they are rare and only bloom for 4 weeks during the entire year!