The Maryland Orchid Society offers a truly spectacular display and wide variety of orchids during the annual Maryland Home and Garden Show.
I remembered this special event as being a superb photographic opportunity with many orchids close and personal. Well lit and clean backgrounds, who could resist the chance to capture them.
Contacting the Orchid Society, I asked permission to come in with camera in hand to be able to take my time and capture orchids to my heart’s content. And capture them I did! Everyone was so gracious, and even the judges who were busily trying to figure out the show winners that morning.
Click through and enjoy some new additions to my Orchid gallery. Nature’s remarkable creations.
These flowers, which were splendid and sprightly, waking in the dawn of the morning, in the evening will be a pitiful frivolity, sleeping in the cold night’s arms.
Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Categories: All about Hoofbeats & Footprints
Emily Carter ~ Nature as Art 
Splendid indeed!
Thanks Fatima ! I was able to sit there and really study each flower. It was such a pleasure.
Your beautiful and colorful images make me anxious for spring!
Thank you Denise ! I can hardly wait as well. Although I must admit, I’m enjoying this last snow a bit.
How do I get to your orchid album? Those are some beauties…I’d love to see more. Cheers!
Click on the last image in the middle and it should take you over to my smugmug site. Good luck!
Thank you! Got it. Some stunners in there. I am also a SmugMug user. Love it. 😀
Thanks Shannon for your kind compliment. Sometimes I wonder if what I do is half way decent or not. 🙂
Emily you are so far past half way decent! Your work is gorgeous and it shows that you have an exceptional artistic eye for composition and timing. The rest is technical technique. You are out there almost everyday looking for opportunities which is excellent behavior in mastering ones art and craft.
Thanks Herb ! Truly do appreciate it. I do love to get out and shoot. Which is half the battle. I was using an extender, which I discovered messed up the focus on further away flowers. I’ll know for next time to remove it. Go figure..each time I go out, I learn something.
Lovely Orchid shots! I like how bright they are. Orchid shows really are a great photographic opportunity (going to one myself very soon ;)). Good job capturing their colors, I know we’ve talked about this before and they aren’t always easy to get accurate colors of. Don’t know how you were able to narrow your shots down, I know you must have tons, I’m learning it’s okay to spread the shots out over different posts.
Also, if you’re wanting more Orchid shots go to American Orchid Society’s website and you’ll find their calendar of events. This is the time for Orchid shows, many of which started last month. Cheers to beautiful orchids!
You know I thought of you when I went out this morning. I knew you were having one coming up. I used my telephoto 100-400mm on a tripod with a remote switch. The colors I had to mute post processing on the hot pinks.
Actually because I took my time to really frame and compose each image, I really didn’t have an overwhelming amount. Not too many rejects. But it took time to get what I wanted. It really helped to ask the society for permission to shoot, they knew I was coming and was welcoming. No harassment at all. 🙂
Using a tripod does sound like a good idea, more functionality in terms of not having to use flash. I’m thinking about getting an external flash with some kind of deflector or diffuser, the need inspired largely from my Orchid show experiences.
Good call taking your time to get just what you want and need from your images. I have to get on top of processing images from this recent show and the previous one. I have read in announcements for some shows that they have a special hour set aside just for photogs to come through. Never tried to make it myself but looking back on last year I feel I’ve grown but still need lots more practice. If only I could figure out/decide faster how to change my setting to get just what I need. 😉 The pinks are a pain no doubt.
That’s the beauty, there is always something to learn and improve on.
Pinks, yellows, reds – the bane of my existence. I tone them down in post processing and also use negative exposure compensation to help the colors not be so ‘hot.’
Flash indeed would help – that’s why I liked this show, they have lighting on the flowers versus at an arboretum. How nice of them to do that for me. 🙂
Yes the lighting put on by the exhibitors/society members certainly does help some of the time.
I’ve talked to a few other amateur photogs who are members of orchid societies and take pictures for their group. It seems yellows and pinks are a problem for many. Now I feel challenged that much more by the colors to get them right! But of course every setting is different so there’s no quick fix! But the more I try the better I feel I get…of course…practice makes what now? 😉
It’s fun learning. Reminds me a little of Kindergarten, learning new letters was great fun; I just wish it was as simple.
Me too !! But where’s the fun in that? Good luck on your next orchid outing.
True, true. All the more exciting when you get the shot just right after so much finaggling!
No more shows for me for a bit – good for my wallet and collection, though my desire will continue to long… – but hopefully my own will put on shows of their own! 😉
Wait a minute..you grow orchids too? Wow..now you really are awesome!
Lol *blushing*… I just started last year and now it’s grown into a bit of an addiction. That’s where my knowledge of names comes from when I refer to your images. Honestly, I find the hobby therapeutic, plus I’m just a nerd when it comes to plants. I wish orchids grew faster though I get so excited when I spot a new growth or spike coming up. Plus the challenge of growing them better (or not killing them) is pretty cool. I’ve taken on a couple of hybrids & species recently that are apparently difficult to keep. One came in flower and within days the flower died, but coming from the west coast to the Midwest that’s not uncommon. Soon I’ll get a pic up of it.
Now I’m truly impressed. It’s a gift to nurture them.
Nature doesn’t need a holiday, it just keeps on giving! 😉
It is so true LP. BTW, I don’t think I could figure out your real name. 🙂
Have some new treasures from this week as well.
Bit late in getting back to you here and my visits but should be catching up tonight. 😀 I live in mystery!!! 😉