Black and Yellow Giant - _TNY_6517
To start off the bug shooting for the new year, I tried out my new tripod head (Sunwayfoto DT-03R) and a wireless shutter (JJC JM-A) at the Haga Ocean Butterfly House (not many other choices available with outside temps around -10°C / 14°F here at the moment).
The new gear performed just great and I got some nice shots of this king swallowtail (Papilio thoas) which was very new and fresh. Also, there is a small water drop at its left temple.
I took this shot from a sort of wide "bridge" made out of wood over the water where the rays and turtles swim. Unfortunately (but not surprisingly) this isn't as stable as the paved pathways which means that whenever some other visitor is walking nearby, it introduces vibrations. I try to time the shots (and the wireless shutter was very helpful), but this shot isn't as sharp as it could have been if I had been completely alone that day. With schools here still not open for the new semester, there was no chance of that happening though - lots of visitors.
This is an North American species which looks almost identical to the giant swallowtail (P. cresphontes), but is differentiated by having four yellow spots in the lower row on the forewings while cresphontes only has three.
Black and Yellow Giant - _TNY_6517
To start off the bug shooting for the new year, I tried out my new tripod head (Sunwayfoto DT-03R) and a wireless shutter (JJC JM-A) at the Haga Ocean Butterfly House (not many other choices available with outside temps around -10°C / 14°F here at the moment).
The new gear performed just great and I got some nice shots of this king swallowtail (Papilio thoas) which was very new and fresh. Also, there is a small water drop at its left temple.
I took this shot from a sort of wide "bridge" made out of wood over the water where the rays and turtles swim. Unfortunately (but not surprisingly) this isn't as stable as the paved pathways which means that whenever some other visitor is walking nearby, it introduces vibrations. I try to time the shots (and the wireless shutter was very helpful), but this shot isn't as sharp as it could have been if I had been completely alone that day. With schools here still not open for the new semester, there was no chance of that happening though - lots of visitors.
This is an North American species which looks almost identical to the giant swallowtail (P. cresphontes), but is differentiated by having four yellow spots in the lower row on the forewings while cresphontes only has three.