yellowstone & grand tetons nps (may 2012) Calypso bulbosa, Fairy Slipper Orchid, Grand Tetons National Park

I was so excited to see these plants in bloom (right in the middle of a

snowstorm) that I was not really worrying about photography at the

time. In fact, I was shaking with excitement. That has, inevitably,

worn off at this point. I'm interested in hearing what you think.

Personally, I think the framing and focus could use a little work, and

the exposure is maybe a tad dark. It is unmanipulated.

You're not trying to sell the picture to the flower, so you have artistic license to do what looks good to you.  Yes, it's a tad dark, but you still have good highlights in the water droplet, and the darkness (as well as the shallow depth of field) keep the background from being distracting. It gives a different mood than a lighter image would, like a minor key in music, but if that's what you want, that's fine.  Go ahead and try some variations in the post processing and see how you like them.

I understand about the excitement - I saw a tarantula in the wild about a year ago, and by the time I remembered that I could get more depth of field if I used flash, he was gone into the brush.

Regards, Tom