Interesting!
Well, I have just read a ton trying to comprehend diffraction and the related darn physics of the thing and many rabbitholes
and I have a ton more to go
I do recall experimenting with smaller apertures and the 'softness' and extended depth of my images with the borrowed camera/lenses...I should really do some tests now that I have my very own camera and go-to-lens
for me, though, the sweeter and funner spots have definitely been hand-held with shorter exposure times and lower fs so I haven't done it.
I second William's suggestion to try some at f/16 and lower, plus focus bracketing. With your situation needing to photograph these gorgeous orchids before they leave, maybe a portable light source would be a really handy addition in your arsenal?
