Ben Huberman, on The Daily Post, has given us the photography challenge this week of “opposites.” What an interesting construct to consider from a visual perspective.

I did some searching through my files as I thought about what opposites would look like and stopped at this photo taken at a lily pond at the Naples Botanical Garden. It has intrigued me but I never posted it because it needed a special focus of discussion that I wasn’t able to identify – until now.

As I reflect on the vertical lily pad and its reflection I am reminded of the ying and yang symbol that represents crisis and opportunity in the Chinese culture. Seeing the reflection as opportunity is even more poignant when we see through the reflection to see the new growth of a stem.

But is the reflection on the water of the half of the lily pad we can see really its opposite or is it more of a clone of the reflected object? No, it can’t be a clone because the reflection is an illusion that will fade with changing perspective or light. In some ways it is similar to what we mean when we say “two sides of the same coin.” The meaning of that phrase is that opposites really aren’t that different – they are just opposites sides of the same object. Okay, there is a flaw in that analogy also.

The lily pad was back-lit by the morning sun that produces the opposites of light and dark, night and day but I will turn the thinking about this possibility over to you. Thank you, Ben, for giving my brain a good stimulation while providing an opportunity to post this interesting photograph. If you are interested in seeing more photographs of opposite you can visit Ben here.