Today's ladyslippers

[Steve Foss]

These pink ladyslippers were blooming about a week earlier than average. I stopped by to check on them, expecting them to peak next weekend, and lo and behold they were looking fine already.

The light was so darn hot that I had to put a diffusion tent over the flowers to make them photographable. And the wind was gusty. Luckily, ladyslippers are forest flowers, have strong stalks and don't sway too badly in the wind. I had to do a lot of waiting until they were still enough, though.

The first image shows blooms just opened, which is why they are more pale than the older blooms in the second two images.

[jonny_redhorse]

Very nice Steve!......simply a beautiful wild flower!........

[Dbl]

Very nice Steve, that wind did wreck havoc today. I tried a few more macros this morning myself before the wind came up.