Southern Marsh Orchid - Dactylorhiza praetermissa

The last few weeks have seen me out and about searching for beautiful wild British Orchids. Orchids probably first came to my attention back in 2000 - 2001 when I worked for the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust on a regular basis. I visited many different reserves within the County throughout this period and observed first hand the changing seasons. One of the many marvellous things I witnessed during this time was the beautiful displays put on by the wild flower meadows found throughout Lincolnshire, the several species of orchids being amongst the stars of the show, appearing as it seemed almost over night.  

I'm  trying to focus a bit more on macro and close up photography at present for a few different reasons. The first is that nice portraits of wild flowers and insects are always in demand with magazines, book publishers and newspapers. I've done pretty well over the years selling this type of image to various outlets, (even though the money received now is far less than it used to be) so I want to expand my portfolio as much as I can. The second reason is that i'm leading some photography workshops at Whisby Nature reserve in Lincolnshire later this Summer, and I want to get a feel for what's about at certain times of the year. I'm hoping that if the courses go well, I may be able to make them a regular thing next year. The last reason, and really the most important one for me, I just love taking pictures of our beautiful flora and fauna. I truly believe that if you don't really enjoy the subject you are photographing, it will show quite clearly in your work. I've always lived near wild areas and love being surrounded by trees, meadows, streams, and all the wildlife that goes with it. There's nowhere I would rather be.     

The first orchid I've managed to photograph this year is the Southern Marsh Orchid, a lover of damp or marshy ground, and pretty common in Lincolnshire. I try to find good specimens, ones that haven't been nibbled or damaged in any way, and aim to capture the plants in as natural a state as I possibly can. I think orchids can look their best when flowers at the very top of the plant have yet to come out, leading to a nice neat, triangular tip.

Southern Marsh Orchid - Dactylorhiza praetermissa, portrait

Possibly my favourite photograph of a Southern Marsh Orchid, showing the plant virtually in full bloom, only a few flowers left to come out at the very tip of the flower head. A perfect specimen, photographed in a particularly marshy part of this Lincolnshire Wildlife reserve. 

Southern Marsh Orchid - Dactylorhiza praetermissa

This particular plant was found in a slightly drier area of the same reserve, the flowers slightly darker in colour, again the uppermost flowers yet to bloom.

Both images were taken using a Nikon D4, Nikkor 105mm F2.8mm macro lens, tripod and cable release.