Sunny but cold, April 22nd was the second day of the Orchid Festival, hosted by the Ann Arbor Orchid Society at the Matthaie Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor.  Open to the public both days, photographers were allowed in early on Sunday from 9am to 10am, so a friend of mine and I, after meeting up at Panera for breakfast, loaded up our gear and off we went. 

We arrived at the festival, which was held in a separate room next to the observatory, and I was amazed by the amount of different types of orchids in bloom, and the amount of creativity that had gone into the displays.

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I am not a green thumb by any stretch, so all the names seemed like Greek to me, and the challenge of capturing a good photo with the light available really had more of my attention.  We made our way around the room, stepping out of eachother’s shots, watching where we placed our tripods and monopods, leaning in carefully as not to touch any of the displays. 

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For as many photogs that were there, the room was rather quiet, except for the constant faint beep of the cameras as the lenses focused on their subjects, some flashes.  I hadn’t shot with my monopod much, and this was the perfect opportunity. 

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Later, in the observatory with it’s open, airy and very humid greenhouse like environment, it was plenty bright enough for handheld shots, in fact, they don’t allow tripods in but will hold them for you at the front desk. Another very popular place for photogs, the observatory houses countless plants, flowers and cacti, even several ponds with goldfish.  

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Shooting from the upper level provided a whole new angle of the wonders of nature below. Balconies on both sides of the observatory allow you to view the plants and foliage from above.   

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Outside on the grounds, there are even more gardens and trails to explore, though we were there early in the season, so not all was in bloom besides a beautiful field of daffodils and grape hyacinth. 

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The cold wind cut our visit a bit short, and with my love for landscape photography,  I’m anxious to return in the summer.

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