Red Trillium Wildflower (Trillium erectum), Pennsylvania
We were on a hunt for the wiley morel mushroom in a wooded area in southeastern Pennsylvania, just above the floodplain of the Susquehanna River. The morels were in extremely short supply; we found only a few. But since it was more or less an excuse to be out a warm springtime day with family and friends, who cared? Any excuse to be outside is a good one.
We crossed a tiny brook and found a gentle slope that was covered with trilliums, mostly white. There were a few pink varieties, and then a ruby-red one. Easing closer with camera on tripod, its legs spread-eagled so as to get down low and close, I tried to crush as few of the surrounding wildflowers as possible. The late afternoon sun was coming in behind the flower, creating a high contrast scene and a lot of potential lens flare, but also backlighting the flower structure nicely.
It was a beautiful place and time, with wonderful people. Afterward we all shared a wonderful home cooked meal and evening conversation, leaving reluctantly.
Photo location: York County, Pennsylvania.
