Yesterday morning I whizzed out to the bush block to visit the snake orchid, Cymbidium suave, spotted by my weekend companion just off the track where Big Rock Road meets Bullocky's Hut Road. There were a number of clumps: one at ground level already feasted on by a prowling macropod, and two high in trees beyond the reach of geriatrics who are no longer eager to climb ladders to photograph orchids. However, a stump at crouch level was filled with strappy leaves and a flourish of creamy-green flowers, with their maroon-splotched throats and pink blush on the underside of the petals.
The morning light was a bit glary, and I hadn't yet spent five hours at a photography workshop, aimed at moving me beyond CIM (Complete Idiot Mode) – which is apparently how I have taken all the photos on this blog. I'll try for more expert photos at the weekend, if the wallaby hasn't beaten me to it.
If you want to see what not-so-geriatric ladder-climbers found high in a casuarina, look at
http://morselsandscraps.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/tongue-orchid-or-thumbnail-orchid-dockrillia-linguiformis/ (these photos mostly taken by JRM, although I too climbed.)
For other Eurobodalla orchids, you can peruse a gallery at
https://picasaweb.google.com/115521452370583053305/OrchidSpeciesSpottedInEurobodalla#
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Well if this is what you can achieve in CIM then I can’t wait to see what you produce when YKIA! Saying that I really want to do a photography course to try and fathom this technical stuff about apertures and f-stops! I try, but my efforts are abysmal.
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Wait till you see River Road 11 – everything went blue. Today I’ll put aside new learning I think.
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Happy to join you in CIM 🙂 What a little beauty, Meg!
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Absolutely lovely Meg. I am so glad the wallabies didn’t beat you to this one. Always bear in mind that technical know-how is a means to an end. So far you have done pretty well in terms of the results you have achieved. I have had backhanded compliments for my work: “Your orchid photos are really lovely but I would have taken them using……”. We are not professionals and we work with the limitations of our time, equipment and opportunity!
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I suspect I’ll be sneaking back to Idiot Mode, but at least I’ll be doing it with knowledge of the options. I’m glad you enjoyed the stump-full
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What’s this idiot thing? I’ve seen NO bad photos on your blog, far from it, I’ve been entertained and amazed by the beauty you’ve shown me.
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Thank you so much Gilly. I do discard a huge number of photos, so you see the pick of the pick. I’m wondering what improvements I’ll achieve, but at least I now know what lurks inside the camera menu.
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Such pretty little things Meg. Good luck with your next visit, after the photo session, hope the wallabies haven’t found them first…
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Too lazy to walk up in the dim of the evening. I’ll try tomorrow morning.
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