butterfly

Butterfly Creek

Last Saturday we made a day trip to Auckland and back. It was a very early start, and a very late finish due to the flight home being delayed.  However I got to see my mother for Christmas, and my other mother (Dad’s partner) so it was a good trip.  The weather was totally weird. In Pukekohe we encountered a thunderstorm, very heavy rain and hail.  At one point I had to pull over because I couldn’t see the road in front of me, and when we did continue on, it was to drive through flooded roads.  Ten minutes later we were driving in sunshine on roads that had seen no rain – very bizarre.

So after the rain and thunder we headed to Butterfly Creek to see how the Lumix G9 would perform with the butterflies.  I was very disappointed to find that they had removed all the seating in the butterfly house, which made it very difficult for me. I am unable to stand for a long period of time, so I had to leave the butterflies to go to another area to off my feet a few times while we were there.  I usually find the best shots happen when you just sit and wait but now that’s not very easy to do at Butterfly Creek.

I was determined to get some images from the visit though, and these are some of the results.  They have had very little processing other than noise reduction and cropping.  I am extremely happy with how the camera performed and the freedom of being able to hand hold a lens that can reach so far was awesome.  I am loving my camera and the two lenses that I chose to purchase with it.  I am thinking however that I need another lens that sits somewhere between the two I already have.  Research (and saving) is required.

This selection of images was using the Lumix 100-400mm lens and I think it was perfect for the job.  It allowed me to get close ups of the butterflies without having to be so close to them as to scare them off.  At one point I was photographing one butterfly with another sitting on top of the lens hood.  I didn’t having anyone with me to capture the shot but it would have been a fun image.

© Digitalpix Photography