New Lens, New Model, Pt. 2 - _TNY_2019
I recently bought myself a new (used) lens - A Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO Macro DG HSM. This will give me better reach for butterflies and dragonflies and so far I'm quite pleased with it!
Here is the first subject - and fittingly also the first time this particular butterfly had a photo taken of it.
It is a citrus swallowtail (Papilio demoleus), sometimes known as the Christmas butterfly and I watched it make its first flight after having climbed out of the chrysalis and its wings had dried. I initially thought this was the very similar Papilio demodocus, but there is a white spot missing on the dorsal forewing which should be there if it was a demodocus and with it missing, it must be a demoleus if I understand correctly.
It was a very short flight, just a meter or two and ended in the middle of the walking path at the Haga Ocean Butterfly house in Solna, Sweden. To prevent it being trampled by a visitor, I gently moved it to a rock and got a nice modelling session out of it. I am happy this was "the first" as I happen to think this is a particularily pretty species - and I even got shots of both the dorsal and ventral side of the wings. Part 1 here shows the other side nicely: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52777306298/)
So far, the lens feels really good and the added reach which meant being able to get some shots which would have been impossible with the 100mm lens is very nice - never a bad thing to scare the subject less.
There is some nice detail in this one if you zoom in, but I also got a couple of more shots which are real closeups (with the same lens) coming later with in my opinion smashing detail on the compound eye.
New Lens, New Model, Pt. 2 - _TNY_2019
I recently bought myself a new (used) lens - A Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO Macro DG HSM. This will give me better reach for butterflies and dragonflies and so far I'm quite pleased with it!
Here is the first subject - and fittingly also the first time this particular butterfly had a photo taken of it.
It is a citrus swallowtail (Papilio demoleus), sometimes known as the Christmas butterfly and I watched it make its first flight after having climbed out of the chrysalis and its wings had dried. I initially thought this was the very similar Papilio demodocus, but there is a white spot missing on the dorsal forewing which should be there if it was a demodocus and with it missing, it must be a demoleus if I understand correctly.
It was a very short flight, just a meter or two and ended in the middle of the walking path at the Haga Ocean Butterfly house in Solna, Sweden. To prevent it being trampled by a visitor, I gently moved it to a rock and got a nice modelling session out of it. I am happy this was "the first" as I happen to think this is a particularily pretty species - and I even got shots of both the dorsal and ventral side of the wings. Part 1 here shows the other side nicely: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52777306298/)
So far, the lens feels really good and the added reach which meant being able to get some shots which would have been impossible with the 100mm lens is very nice - never a bad thing to scare the subject less.
There is some nice detail in this one if you zoom in, but I also got a couple of more shots which are real closeups (with the same lens) coming later with in my opinion smashing detail on the compound eye.