A photographer's worst nightmare
Photographing orchids in the genus Malaxis is an arduous task, especially while under attack from mosquitoes, soaked in water and in poor lighting. A year or two ago, we attempted to photograph a couple Green Adder's Mouth that we had heard were growing in New Hampshire, following vague instructions deep into a wooded area that we had never been to before. It was in those woods that we searched for hours, finally finding the plants at dusk. It was then too dark to photograph them. We ended the trip tired, hungry, mosquito bitten and dreading the long drive to come, looking over a couple low quality photos. This time wasn't that much different. The orchid was in a patch of moss growing next to a small stream that emptied out into a fen, and was shaded by the trees to the point that the camera couldn't photograph anything. I found myself squatting in the water, one hand operating the lens, the other behind the plant to focus the camera in addition to using a cellphone flashlight. If you didn't know, flowers on Malaxis are tiny. Two millimeters tiny. They're also a faint green. I was adamant about getting the perfect shot, but eventually the mosquitos (Which are biting me now, I might add) drove us away, leaving us with only three good photographs. Malaxis always gives me trouble, and I can only expect to have more of the same in the days, months and years to come.
