I remember clearly the day I found this flower.  For 18 years of hiking in Oregon I have been searching for the Mountain Lady Slipper (Cypripedium montanum), one of several orchid species that grow here.   On the fourth of July my good friends Andrew and Mel were with me on a backpack in Oregon's Ochoco Wilderness.  We found these flowers after hiking only a few minutes from the car.  For the next three days they were everywhere.  Although I took pictures of them throughout the trip, the one above was shot on the first day and because of the flattering light turned out to be a favorite.  

Photographing a flower is in many ways like taking a person's portrait.  I like to think about capturing the personality of the flower in a special moment.  These flowers seem to be taking in the scenery around them with a sense of anticipation.