NOVEMBER 2010 CHALLENGE THEME - TERRESTRIAL ORCHIDS OF VICTORIA

[Carmyllie]

Here's my #4 for the Monthly Challenge.

Thelmytra ixioides - Spotted Sun-orchid

For the last week, every time I have tried to photograph one of these specimens, they've all been closed because of the abundance of rain.

Yesterday I got lucky! 2 separate species of Sun - orchid in 2 different locations.

[Analog6]

Such pretty things, aren't they.

[tommykelso]

Very very nice

[Tim N]

That is an excellent photo ! Pretty flowers too

[Carmyllie]

Thanks for your kind words everyone. Amazingly, at 7am or some such ungodly hour, whilst in the middle of the forest Conservation Reserve, I bumped into another photographer, whom I learnt was equally a botanist and highly regarded for his web pages and environmentalism. I was taken aback to be honest, but we walked for 30 minutes or so, photographing along the track as we talked.I learnt that I may have taken an image which validates only the 3rd known recording of a certain terrestrial orchid in this reserve, so we exchanged email addresses and tonight when I got home, learnt that his images of this same Sun - orchid taken yesterday morning, didn't come out!

Shot with 100ISO f/5.6 and 1/200s

[Ross and Cher]

Nice find and coup! well done!

[christophm]

A beautiful picture of a beautiful flower.  Well done, Jenn.