Jim Fowler's photos with the keyword: upstate

Well, I keep saying that I'm not going back up to the Heritage Preserve again, but I did one last time. I met Jim and Becky Petranka, friends from North Carolina, to show them the special place that is Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. This is probably the best year I've seen up there for Spiranthes cernua orchids. The topography is quite varied, but everywhere there is a wet seep or next to the cataract that flows through the Preserve, these orchids grow in impressive numbers. Again, a very good year...

Well, I keep saying that I'm not going back up to the Heritage Preserve again, but I did one last time. I met Jim and Becky Petranka, friends from North Carolina, to show them the special place that is Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. This is probably the best year I've seen up there for Spiranthes cernua . The topography is quite varied, but everywhere there is a wet seep or next to the cataract that flows through the Preserve, these orchids grow in impressive numbers. Again, a very good year...

Well, I keep saying that I'm not going back up to the Heritage Preserve again, but I did one last time. I met Jim and Becky Petranka, friends from North Carolina, to show them the special place that is Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. This is probably the best year I've seen up there for Spiranthes cernua . The topography is quite varied, but everywhere there is a wet seep or next to the cataract that flows through the Preserve, these orchids grow in impressive numbers. Again, a very good year...

Well, I keep saying that I'm not going back up to the Heritage Preserve again, but I did one last time. I met Jim and Becky Petranka, friends from North Carolina, to show them the special place that is Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. This is probably the best year I've seen up there for Spiranthes cernua . The topography is quite varied, but everywhere there is a wet seep or next to the cataract that flows through the Preserve, these orchids grow in impressive numbers. Again, a very good year...

Well, I keep saying that I'm not going back up to the Heritage Preserve again, but I did one last time. I met Jim and Becky Petranka, friends from North Carolina, to show them the special place that is Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. This is probably the best year I've seen up there for Spiranthes cernua . The topography is quite varied, but everywhere there is a wet seep or next to the cataract that flows through the Preserve, these orchids grow in impressive numbers. Again, a very good year...

Well, I keep saying that I'm not going back up to the Heritage Preserve again, but I did one last time. I met Jim and Becky Petranka, friends from North Carolina, to show them the special place that is Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. This is probably the best year I've seen up there for Spiranthes cernua . The topography is quite varied, but everywhere there is a wet seep or next to the cataract that flows through the Preserve, these orchids grow in impressive numbers. Again, a very good year...

This morning, I made a trip into the upstate of South Carolina following Persimmon Ridge Road until I arrived at Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. I knew it was the season for Crane-fly orchids, and I was not disappointed. However, I really struggled with the lighting on this hard-to-photograph orchid as I do every year. The first problem, however, is to locate the flowers. There are no leaves on the plant this time of year, and the color blends in so well with the surrounding vegetation and shadows, that they are extremely hard to spot. Once I found a suitable candidate, I used a piece of black cloth which I spread over my camera bag and placed behind the flowers. I used available light because I figured that even a minor amount of fill flash would burn out the highlights on these small flowers. I guess I'll have to get used to using a dark background for these, because that is something I seldom do...

This morning, I made a trip into the upstate of South Carolina following Persimmon Ridge Road until I arrived at Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. I knew it was the season for Crane-fly orchids, and I was not disappointed. However, I really struggled with the lighting on this hard-to-photograph orchid as I do every year. The first problem, however, is to locate the flowers. There are no leaves on the plant this time of year, and the color blends in so well with the surrounding vegetation and shadows, that they are extremely hard to spot. Once I found a suitable candidate, I used a piece of black cloth which I spread over my camera bag and placed behind the flowers. I used available light because I figured that even a minor amount of fill flash would burn out the highlights on these small flowers. I guess I'll have to get used to using a dark background for these, because that is something I seldom do...

This morning, I made a trip into the upstate of South Carolina following Persimmon Ridge Road until I arrived at Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. I knew it was the season for Crane-fly orchids, and I was not disappointed. However, I really struggled with the lighting on this hard-to-photograph orchid as I do every year. The first problem, however, is to locate the flowers. There are no leaves on the plant this time of year, and the color blends in so well with the surrounding vegetation and shadows, that they are extremely hard to spot. Once I found a suitable candidate, I used a piece of black cloth which I spread over my camera bag and placed behind the flowers. I used available light because I figured that even a minor amount of fill flash would burn out the highlights on these small flowers. I guess I'll have to get used to using a dark background for these, because that is something I seldom do...

This is what the Crane-fly orchid looks like under "natural" conditions. It's hard to spot due to its coloration and preference for hiding in ferns and other vegetation. This also makes some challenging conditions for photography...

This morning, I made a trip into the upstate of South Carolina following Persimmon Ridge Road until I arrived at Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. I knew it was the season for Crane-fly orchids, and I was not disappointed. However, I really struggled with the lighting on this hard-to-photograph orchid as I do every year. The first problem, however, is to locate the flowers. There are no leaves on the plant this time of year, and the color blends in so well with the surrounding vegetation and shadows, that they are extremely hard to spot. Once I found a suitable candidate, I used a piece of black cloth which I spread over my camera bag and placed behind the flowers. I used available light because I figured that even a minor amount of fill flash would burn out the highlights on these small flowers. I guess I'll have to get used to using a dark background for these, because that is something I seldom do...

This morning, I made a trip into the upstate of South Carolina following Persimmon Ridge Road until I arrived at Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. I knew it was the season for Crane-fly orchids, and I was not disappointed. However, I really struggled with the lighting on this hard-to-photograph orchid as I do every year. The first problem, however, is to locate the flowers. There are no leaves on the plant this time of year, and the color blends in so well with the surrounding vegetation and shadows, that they are extremely hard to spot. Once I found a suitable candidate, I used a piece of black cloth which I spread over my camera bag and placed behind the flowers. I used available light because I figured that even a minor amount of fill flash would burn out the highlights on these small flowers. I guess I'll have to get used to using a dark background for these, because that is something I seldom do...