Hello all! I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend. I was fortunate enough to spend mine in the Fakahatchee. I had a wonderful time and many thanks to a couple of great guys for their support.
I've been to the Fakahatchee many times and have some photos of the rewards here:
Picasa Web Albums - Justin Parkkonen - Florida
Yesterday began for me with the acquisition of a new 10-20mm lens, so you may notice most of my shots below were shot very wide. It is a style I really like for Orchids and is a bit different from the common macro style. I love Orchids in habitat, so I shoot wide to capture that.
To start the day off we came across a huge vanilla with buds at the top. If I was able to return again today I would have climbed the tree and shot down on the flowers, I think that would be a cool perspective.
I could not find the Ghost I went to find (which is budding)... so I checked my usual suspects for a bud. Beautiful Ghosts, but no bud.
I was about to head out to the local gas station for a beverage and some food when I ran into one of the nicest guys I have ever met.
Not only did he show me some Vanilla blooms (and spent flowers) that I wouldn't have to climb a tree to shoot:
But he also helped me find and view a budding Ghost (after six years of failed attempts):
Looks like I will finally shoot a Ghost in bloom! (In the wild, the only way I want to.)
We spent enough time with the familiar and decided to trail blaze. Ducked through several of these:
We saw a Pop Ash that looked like a Ghost Town so we checked it out. No Ghost, but close:
Next stop was a huge Cypress dome... The kind that make you feel really insignificant. It was loaded with Guzmania, and a few were in bloom:
I've never seen a Guzmania in bloom before and it was quite a sight to see. It looks a lot like the Gingers of Tropical America.
Shortly out of the Cypress Dome we found ourselves in some of the tougher bush. Deep in conversation and walking parallel about 10' apart, I was actually startled when I turned my head literately into this:
Not a Cow-Horn of course, but I thought I had walked into a swarm of bees for a second. I shot this wide (same as the rest of the shots) because I love Orchid shots in habitat, I can't get enough of them. I can recall this area so well and actually feel like I am in the Fakahatchee when I look at it, an effect I appreciate more when I shoot Orchids wide. I have some wider cropped shots that show even more of the bloom. A quick count gives me 21 blooms and several buds. Once we walked into Butterfly territory we found about a dozen more plants, some budded, some empty.
Other Orchids spotted include many Dingy Flowered, the typical Rigids, a couple Clam Shell and the invasive terrestrial African Spotted.
All in all, one of the best day I have ever spent in the mighty Fakahatchee. Overall covered about four miles off of trail, around six miles total.
Thank you again Dave & Mike for your
generous support.
Here's Mike after over four miles; he hardly broke a sweat!
The Mighty Fakahatchee
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