<< Previous Next >>

A Lady in the Woods


A Lady in the Woods
Photo Information
Copyright: Francine Malo (NinaM) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 545 W: 0 N: 1338] (4443)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-06-25
Categories: Flowers
Camera: Leica V Lux1
Exposure: f/4.5, 1/80 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-06-25 14:29
Viewed: 377
Points: 48
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Well, no posting of Ile Verte today. I started going to the Regional Par of Monte-à-Peine and Les Dalles Waterfalls Park the last days as the weather is finally starting to look like summer. It's been raining a lot here lately and I didn't do much photos the last weeks.

But as I walk in this park, I'm charmed and amazed by the diversity of plants, the diversity of all the animals and the beauty of the river L'Assomption where, within 5 kilometers, you will see three waterfalls and a lot of meanders and even a fjord. Plus, you get to see the wooden plants, the shore plants and the beautiful mature forest.

It's funny because when I saw the flower I am introducing to you today, I first thought of the ancient paganists "seeing" so many living creatures in the forests: the gnomes, the fairies, the sorcerers plus all the animals and beasts created to scare small children. I loved those stories!

Looking at this picture I see an elfin, a fairy, an Irish Fairy, almost a small gnome, with a puff skirt.

This is Cypripedium Aucale, from the orchid family, or easier said Pink Lady's Slippers or Mocassin Flower or Slipper Orchid. In French we call her either Sabot de la Vierge (Virgin Slippers) or Sabot de Vénus (Venus Slippers). The moccasin flower, or pink lady's slipper, occurs from central and eastern Canada, south across the north central and northeastern United States.

What's to say about such a Lady? I read that starting from the seed to the first flowering, it takes within 15 to 20 years! What you see when you see such a flower, standing over the ground from about 12 inches, is a plant that could be up to 50 years old. It is extremely complex and grows with the help of the mycorrhizes fungi in the ground. They are getting rare and they hate being transplanted. So please, if you meet one of these beauty, please bend down on your knees to the ground, admire its beauty and refinery and then, go your own way without her. It's so easy to destroy its habitat that we have to preserve them carefully if we want to enjoy this miraculous inhabitant of our forests for the years to come.

It is also a robust plant and very hardy to our latitude even though it's hard to cultivate and transplant.

The Native People used this plant in preparation of an aphrodisiac. Its uses vary from tooth ache to nervosity and muscular spasm.

I will try to find out more about geology and the inhabitants of this park. The gatekeeper at the park told me we could find wolves, coyotes, bears, moses etc... early in the morning or at night. Well, I wish to learn more about this park. The only sad thing is that here, in Quebec, it seems to be very hard to find such information, regarding geology etc... I found nothing on Internet! I will try my best to document my pictures to you. Hope you enjoy as much as I do!

Francine
ISO 100
Slightly cropped, saturation added, levels in Lightroom 2
alikox, maurydv, lise, bahadir, Adanac, goldyrs, jaycee, eqshannon, Argus, gracious, boreocypriensis, eng55, sandpiper2, CeltickRanger, marhowie, lovenature, hester has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To eqshannon: FindhornNinaM 1 06-26 09:06
To lise: Chutes Monte-à-PeineNinaM 1 06-25 18:21
To alikox: 50 years oldNinaM 1 06-25 18:17
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Hi Francine,
Beautiful Orchid. And 50 years old! That is amazing and also sad considering it may face extinction in a few generations.
Very nice composition and colors.
Best regards,
Ali

Splendida macro di questa bellissima orchidea, ottima nitidezza, molto belli i colori e BG scuro. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

  • Great 
  • lise Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 179 W: 52 N: 531] (2593)
  • [2008-06-25 17:04]
  • [+]

Bonjour Francine,
Mais comment as-tu trouver cette merveille??
Cela fait des années que j'en cherche!! Merci de partager celle-ci, elle est vraiment superbe.Il faut que j'aille visiter cette endoit un jour.
Magnifiques couleurs et excellents détails.
Bravo!
Lise

Hello Francine, wonderful shot of this beautiful flower. TFS. Regards
Bahadır

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1036 W: 1 N: 3970] (13366)
  • [2008-06-25 18:32]

Hello Francine,
What a beautiful flower my friend, you have captured sharp details and brilliant color in the fine composition. Splendid work Francine, thank you for sharing.
Rick

An amazing shot, Francine...lovely lady...but 50 years???????????
WOW!
Excellent note too!
Cheers!
Goldy

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1691 W: 8 N: 4340] (14113)
  • [2008-06-25 19:10]

Hi Francine,

Your notes were fascinating and your park sounds marvelous. Weather permitting it sounds like you will be spending lots of time there. This flower is beautiful and so unusual looking. Wonderful colors and excellent details. I can see why it has slipper and moccasin in its name.

Jane

I see much more from the Findhorn perspective:-) I see a sprite of a photographer....in a way but a bit wiser than Angelina...This is a clever image in it's entrapment. You do know that Sprites can be mischievous yes? I thought so...many sprites know what the do....ha....I have been caught in the sprite trap once and thought...or perhaps wished it would never end....and now I look in the mirror..and am not sure if I would even attract a sprite for any reason...unless is was an entity from beyond the golden light and only then could I entertain the notion that I have something left..
Bob

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2500 W: 132 N: 7109] (22209)
  • [2008-06-25 22:05]

Hello Francine,
Superb capture of a Pink Lady's Slipper Orchid, a species new to me. You made a fine portrait against the dark BG, making good use of the poor ambient light that shines to give fine highlights in thi simple composition.
Thanks for sharing this delight and for your informative note,
A bienôt,
Ivan

Bonjour Francine,
this is a beautiful image of flower, I loved the lighting here very much!
good sharpness, wonderful colour and details
many thanks for the sharing
merci
Tony

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 992 W: 23 N: 2792] (10178)
  • [2008-06-26 1:47]

Fascinating Francine, this reminds us how important it is for places to be left undisturbed for long peroids to allow long term species to flourish.
As for the shot itself, it is excellent, i like the deep rich colours and the details too...thanks for sharing a very interesting post!
Paul

Hi Francine,
Splendid and perfect macro capture of a Slipper Orchid with wonderful clarity, great DOF and POV. Also beautiful natural colours my friend. TFS.
Cheers,
Bayram

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 353 W: 3 N: 375] (1123)
  • [2008-06-26 4:54]

Hi Francine,
Beautiful close up.Exposure is spot on,details are crisp clear.POV,3D effect,BG and composition are perfect.Excellent note too!
Thaks for posting.

Hi Francine

Great note, I like your writing style and yes I can see a fairy with a puff skirt! I'm impressed by the complex life history of this species, 50 years is a long time for such a delicate organism to live, impressive.
Good POV and sharpness. Good composition.

Chris

bonjour Francine

belle image de cette fleur avec un excellent POV, DOF et cadrage
vertical de l'image, belle luminosité chaude, excellente netteté et détails,

TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1589 W: 242 N: 5308] (18683)
  • [2008-06-26 12:56]

Hello Francine!
Very nice image of this old plant :-)
Superb lighting and colours.
Great DOF too.
Nice composition.

Well done,
Joe

p.s thankyou for your comment on my droplet photo... it made my day :-)

Bonjour Francine,
Merci pour le partage car c'est une orchidée que je ne rencontrerai vraisemblablement pas dans ma région et que tu as superbement mise en valeur.
Par contre je suis étonné que tu lui donnes le nom de "Sabot de Vénus" qui est la dénomination vernaculaire (française) du Cypripedium calceolus.
A bientôt sur TN pour de nouvelles aventures.
Gérard

Nice light and color, great detail/DOF Francine.
I think I'll pick "Pink Lady's Slippers"..
Gives it that feminine touch you know :)
Well done & TFS!
Howard

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1298 W: 104 N: 4606] (20485)
  • [2008-06-29 9:19]

Bonjour Francine, quelle belle trouvaille, cette fleur est superbe et elle pousse comme ça dans la nature! On en apprend à tous les jours. Bravo et merci pour cette belle image,

Mario

Hi Francine
....Happy Canada Day :)

Your orchid is gorgeous! So sharp and colourful, even the small hairs show up. I like how you got down to the same level as the Orchid. Overall very good.
TFS Janice

Preciosa Francine, sobre todo por la curiosa especie para mí.

Por cierto, "puceron" en Español , se le denomona popularmente "Pulgón", y en Català, que es mi lengua, "pulgó". Bajo estas denominaciones se encierran multitud de especies, de las cuales las más conocidas son las plagas agrícolas como Aphis sp. Disaphis sp. Mizus sp. etc.

Puedes escribirme en Francés, lo entiendo, pero no en Inglés
:-)

Un abrazo: J. Ignasi.

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-07-03 8:37]

Hello Francine

Beautiful!
A lovely capture of this dainty orchid.
Very well focused with sharp details.
The colours are natural and pastel.
Very good pov.
TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • iris Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 364 W: 39 N: 666] (2079)
  • [2008-07-03 21:50]

Yes Francine, I see the Fairy with puff skirt...wonderful imagination here.I like the soft texture on pink that is very clearly seen.The focus on the subject is quite clear and neatly presented with good calrity and sharpness.

And i really appreciate the notes that accompany.I can't imagine this plant must be 50 years old.This must be one long journey.I hope you find more traesures from the park and you share with us.
TFS & Cheers

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1470 W: 18 N: 2966] (10890)
  • [2008-07-13 6:40]

Hi Francine

Beautiful shot of this orchid with wonderful details, great POV and lovely natural colours. Interesting note as well!

TFS

Karan

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF