Fringed Gentians

Lesser Fringed Gentians (Gentianopsis virgata aka Gentiana procera)

Here is one of the special wildflowers that I'm priviledged to see in our local wetland preserve, Lake in the Hills Fen. Its range is restricted to the upper midwest and here in northern Illinois it grows in calcareous (calcium rich) fens.

For me this is one of the most challenging wildflowers to photograph. It only flares out its trumpet-like top in the presence of strong sun and is often surrounded by taller neighbors. It grows in wet fragile environments. To get this photo I used a large diffuser and a 200mm lens to isolate these blooms. Look here for a more realistic view of how this species grows.

Nikon D2x, Nikkor 200mm; ISO 100; 1/400s at f/4.2; Exposure bias -0.67; Tripod; LiteDisc Diffuser