My mother's orchid, of the phalaenopsis genus, has been particularly prosperous, giving us all seven blooms--the most she's ever had. So, I was "encouraged" to photograph it. Not that I needed much "encouragement" to get out my camera, but there you have it nonetheless. I did the whole shebang--used a curtain as a backdrop and got out two big lights. Yes, it would have been better with a darker backdrop, but I didn't think to pin a black cloak to the curtain until the end of the shoot, when I set up my tripod and did some pinhole and zone plate lensbaby optic photos (which I'll probably post examples of tomorrow).
I'm not the biggest flower and potted plant person. I appreciate them, and enjoy them in houses--even kept two plants in my dorm room, though that was short lived because one died and the other was infested with fruit flies, which drove me completely homicidal. Er--planticidal?
Anyway, I do like orchids. Granted I don't know many people who dislike orchids, but, that's beside my point. Mostly I like the cultural and anthropological connections with them, which is also what I enjoy about other plants, flowering or otherwise. (Though good "stories behind the name" aren't always easy to come by.)
For instance, the name "phalaenopsis" means "phalaena-like" referring to the genus phalaena, or a group of large moths. (Note the phalaena genus of moth is an outdated name classification.) This is due to the apparent resemblance between a phalaenopsis orchid and a moth in flight.
