I found this Liparis liliifolia in Perry State Forest last year, and I made it back to see it bloom this time. These orchids aren't particularly rare, but the places they grow in are usually pretty inaccessable. This one happened to be easy to get to, so I kept my eye out for it. Here's the flower. They're very insect-like. With their small size and non-descript color they are easily overlooked. Only up close and in the light can their subtle earth tones be appreciated. Here's a shot of the plant. It is actually growing right in a patch of Goodyera pubescens, another orchid. I wanted to back up and get a shot of the whole arrangement, but they were growing right on the edge of a four-wheeler path. My spider sense went off when I heard the bikers approach I decided it was time to leave. I didn't like the idea of being alone miles from anything else, with $4000+ in camera gear and six strangers. It felt like in the movies when you're like, "No, don't you see what's about to happen?" 
But seriously, there are some bad customers out there. Some woman got raped in the State Forest a couple years ago. I find it's best to mind your own business out there. I don't usually talk to the bikers, because we're out there for different reasons. I talk to the hunters sometimes, but not often.
The place where I found the Liparis reminds me of Ithilien from LOTR. There is a wealth of plants and all sorts of things all growing together, but the land it scarred, in this case by dirtbikes. It's one of my favorite haunts, and several of the photos I have posted on here were taken there. There are several species of terrestrial lichens growing there, and several kinds of ferns, and spotted winter green, and Solomon's seal, and many other wildflowers, including four species of native orchids growing within just a few feet of each other. I found this blue-eyed grass there. The plants are tiny and grasslike, but in late spring these tiny blue flowers appear, less than a centimeter across. They are actually tiny members of the iris family. Wild irids aren't particularly common in my part of the world, so these are always a joy to find.
These bluets are from another part of the forest. I found them growing in a matt of moss in a dogwood glade. I didn't expect to find them there, they usually prefer old pastures and places like that. The tiny blue flowers are only about five millimeters across.
This time of year is a good time for fungus here. It's warm and wet, but summer hasn't yet set in. I found these stalked scarlet cups growing on a stream bank. They're much smaller than I made them look. These were about two centimeters tall. I also found some pinwheel marasmius. I did my flash-through-a-leaf trick to give them that eerie green glow. It wasn't easy getting that angle on them, because they're just a couple centimeters tall. They're really tiny fragile things. I named this photo "Corpse Daisies". They reminded me of a ghoolish bouquet.
This (<-- Spider Warning) is a pretty thing. I think this is a very happy picture. The bright orange sets the mood, and even the spider has stars in her eyes. Others say it's just creepy. At any rate this is a big female Phidippus audax sitting in my Epidendrum orchid. This is the kind of shot that only comes together once. Even if I was inclined to try I don't think I could ever do this again. It's one of my favorites ever.
All these were done with my Canon EOS D60. The orchids and fungi were done with my TS-E 90mm lens with additional extension, and the blue-eyed grass and the spider were done with my MP-E 65mm macro. All shots were lit with my MT-24EX macro twin flash, and a 550EX flash off camera.
Thanks for looking!
But seriously, there are some bad customers out there. Some woman got raped in the State Forest a couple years ago. I find it's best to mind your own business out there. I don't usually talk to the bikers, because we're out there for different reasons. I talk to the hunters sometimes, but not often.The place where I found the Liparis reminds me of Ithilien from LOTR. There is a wealth of plants and all sorts of things all growing together, but the land it scarred, in this case by dirtbikes. It's one of my favorite haunts, and several of the photos I have posted on here were taken there. There are several species of terrestrial lichens growing there, and several kinds of ferns, and spotted winter green, and Solomon's seal, and many other wildflowers, including four species of native orchids growing within just a few feet of each other. I found this blue-eyed grass there. The plants are tiny and grasslike, but in late spring these tiny blue flowers appear, less than a centimeter across. They are actually tiny members of the iris family. Wild irids aren't particularly common in my part of the world, so these are always a joy to find.
These bluets are from another part of the forest. I found them growing in a matt of moss in a dogwood glade. I didn't expect to find them there, they usually prefer old pastures and places like that. The tiny blue flowers are only about five millimeters across.
This time of year is a good time for fungus here. It's warm and wet, but summer hasn't yet set in. I found these stalked scarlet cups growing on a stream bank. They're much smaller than I made them look. These were about two centimeters tall. I also found some pinwheel marasmius. I did my flash-through-a-leaf trick to give them that eerie green glow. It wasn't easy getting that angle on them, because they're just a couple centimeters tall. They're really tiny fragile things. I named this photo "Corpse Daisies". They reminded me of a ghoolish bouquet.
This (<-- Spider Warning) is a pretty thing. I think this is a very happy picture. The bright orange sets the mood, and even the spider has stars in her eyes. Others say it's just creepy. At any rate this is a big female Phidippus audax sitting in my Epidendrum orchid. This is the kind of shot that only comes together once. Even if I was inclined to try I don't think I could ever do this again. It's one of my favorites ever.
All these were done with my Canon EOS D60. The orchids and fungi were done with my TS-E 90mm lens with additional extension, and the blue-eyed grass and the spider were done with my MP-E 65mm macro. All shots were lit with my MT-24EX macro twin flash, and a 550EX flash off camera.
Thanks for looking!
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