Calochortus spp

Calochortus spp, a photo by andiwolfe (temporarily busy) on Flickr.

It was an exercise in patience to photograph this Mariposa Lily in the Siskiyous of Oregon. This was spotted on the first stop of a field trip with the American Penstemon Society on July 9, 2011. There was a strong breeze, and these plants have very spindly stems, which make the flowers blow all around at the slightest whisper of a breeze. I've found, though, that if you just give it a bit of time, the wind will pause and you can click the shutter to capture a decent image, even in the most challenging conditions.