problems getting right colour

[-Nicola-]

Hi,
I hope I can be of help with your problem.
First of all, I agree with JDT it is a difficult color to render in photography.
The first image of your post is obviously deliberately underexposed, because it best represents the color of the petals and sepals. Right?
In the second image the details of the lip are more recognizable, but the petals and sepals appear desaturated.
I believe that this is not a problem of exposure, but that the petals and sepals are much more reflective than the lip.
My experience with orchids is limited but I have noticed that often the petals and sepals have much more iridescence perhaps because they are made to attract pollinators, while the lip has more guiding function?
However if this is the case I would try using a polarizing filter.
This does not alter the color but corrects the saturation of the parts that are too reflective.
I hope it helps
ciao Nicola

[Dorsetman]

However if this is the case I would try using a polarizing filter.
This does not alter the color but corrects the saturation of the parts that are too reflective.
I hope it helps
ciao Nicola

This seemed such a good idea that I put rotaary plarisers on all three of the lenses I use for most of my orchid photography : I am really sorry to have to say that it has not made life much easier in trying to get correct colour especially in the dark red colours - see that Cattleya Vallezac I posted a week or so ago - that is another which drove me mad, until I thought to try rhe "vibrance" modifier in my photoshop - that was an easy way to make quite an improvement.