I was happy this past weekend to see that Pink Lady’s Slipper orchids (Cypripedium acaule) were still in bloom in Orkney Springs, Virginia during my recent church retreat at Shrine Mont. Last year at about the same time of the year I spotted a few of them and was successful in finding some when I searched that same general location. The retreat center is located in a mountainous and cooler area of the state, which means that the growing season for flowers is a little behind my area, where the lady’s slippers faded a few weeks ago.
At first I spotted only a few of these fragile little flowers, but eventually I came upon a large patch of almost a dozen of them, as you can see in the final photo. It was a bit of a challenge for me to compose photos of flowers, because I am so used to taking pictures of wildlife. I have to admit, though, that I enjoyed having the luxury of taking my time to compose my shots—with wildlife I often have to react quickly to capture a fleeting moment, so composition is not usually my top priority.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Aren’t they just one of the most glorious creations?
Lovely, Mike! See any trilliums?
Blue Rock HorsesFrederick County, Virginiabluerockhorses.com
<
div dir=”ltr”>
Great capture of all those textures and colours.
Wow ! It mus be so exciting to find them in the wild.
BEAUTIFUL. I know where some grow and they always delight when I come across them. Great shots.
Thanks. I see the lady’s slippers so infrequently that they always bring joy when I see them. So far I have seen them in only two locations, separated by over a hundred miles. 🙂
I’ve seen them in several places, just lucky I guess! I actually spotted a few not far from my house last year. The other ones were in a State Park and a township park.
Lovely portraits of the individual blooms and a delight to see that big patch.