Orchids

No, unfortunately, I didn't fly off to Tahiti to take these orchid photos. I just journeyed upstairs to my bathroom. Admittedly it's difficult to live in a place with 6 months of winter, so if I need a break from the grey, dismal, frosty days I can soak in a big tub surrounded by windows, and walls painted the color of a Bora Bora lagoon.
Of course, the sad reality is that the kids are the only ones with time for bubble baths these days. Oh, and the cat, who loves to lounge in the empty tub and watch the water drip.
The good news, is that it only takes a moment to enjoy the beauty of this amazing plant. I don't know too much about these exotic beauties, but this one is called a Phalaenopsis or "moth orchid" and it lives on the edge of the tub. It is the perfect flower for me because I neglect it and it loves me anyway. It blooms a couple times a year and the flowers last for months.

I captured these images in natural light with my I.S.O. set to 125, with a 70-200 Canon I.S. lens, at F-stop 2.8.