With the odd weather and slow transition to summer, I wasn’t sure when the orchids would be blooming. I decided to go out anyway and head to a bog I know east of Ely. Very shortly after starting down the trail, I came upon this pair of pink lady’s slipper orchids. Knowing there should be more, I continued on the path. Despite exploring deep into the cedars, these were the only lady’s slippers I’d found. I ended up spending a good deal of time with the pair. I recomposed and changed lenses several times, carefully exploring all around them as hordes of mosquitoes whirred around and landed on me. As the sun set late in the evening and the light slowly faded, I made this image of the two.

See more photos from the northwoods in the Northwoods Gallery