Orchids in Twilight

Taken at Cleveland Botanical Garden - Cleveland OH - For Orchid Mania 2012, This Side of Paradise

Taken during my second trip up to the Garden, these types of orchids welcomes the visitor upon entering and show a large diversity of colors that this one species alone can produce. The lavender type of these I think are my favorite because there is a good contrast between the yellow within to the pale colors. Mother Nature certainly has a keen eye for finding beautiful compliments and contrasts on her canvas.

This was shot in a large room with diffused lighting coming from a wall of windows and I intentionally kept the tones on this cool to bring out the purple tones and greens in the shot. I feel like it's looking at these during twilight rather than the middle of the day.

Orchids used to be a coveted treasure in the 19th century, their fragile nature and the risk to lose half the shipment of orchids meant they were rare and sought after. But this sort of quest for orchids still continues today, as scientists believe there may still be 5,000 orchids yet to be discovered, and enthusiasts and scientists continue to keep their eyes out for the newest species.