Where: Las Lajas, Panama
During a recent trip to Panama, I spent a few days in a small town called Las Lajas. It was really small–as in, it had just a store or two, a handful of restaurants (mostly closed due to it being rainy season), a couple farms, a cemetery and a lovely beach nearby that required a taxi to get there.
Since there was little to do, I took some nice walks and simply enjoyed the time at my hotel (La Finca Buena Vista) and out in nature.
What: A Butterfly, Nibbling on Nectar
One day, when returning to my hotel, I spotted this butterfly nibbling on nectar. It was so beautiful, I just had to photograph it.
I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get the shot; butterflies often fly away before you even turn on your camera. But this butterfly, like the people in Las Lajas, was in no rush to be anywhere else. It was in the moment, enjoying some nectar.
Photographic Details
I used my Olympus X-Z 1, an advanced point and shoot, which has an F 1.8 lens. I had the F stop open as far as possible and the lens extended out to 128 mm to create the blur. ISO: 100; f 2.5; 24 mm wide angle; 1/1000 second.
Your Experience?
Do you like to photograph insects, birds, etc.? Or do you find them to be a bit elusive and difficult to capture photographically? Do you sometimes not even try? If you do, what sort of camera do you use and which setting do you prefer? Do you have a super fast lens that makes it possible?
If you like photography, you might want to check out these photos–some that are nature-oriented and others that are “trippy” in some way–like the Human Tree I photographed in Guatemala.
This is really pretty! It’s nice to admire nature once in a while, especially when there are hardly any butterflies in cities nowadays! 🙂
Thanks, Anji! Glad you like it! You sound like you’re in a city perhaps and if so, then I can imagine you don’t see too many (unless you’re at a park).
This is a great picture. I really want to go to Panama, I’ve been hearing such great things lately. It reminds me of a picture I always wanted to catch. This past summer and fall, my neighbor and I would sit out back on the weekends and relax with some beers. There are banana trees behind our apartment and a couple of times a hummingbird hovered down to snack on the banana tree. It was such an amazing site but I never had my camera with me, and never got the shot. I’m glad this one didn’t get away from you!
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Hi, James. Thank you…! I hope you can make it Panama…it’s so lovely and more special than I imagined it would be.
The scene you described sounds wonderful…and not just the beer part. I’m sure the hummingbird moved fast (or would have if you’d pulled out the camera)–just like so many birds (I must have a couple hundred blurry shots of birds). Even though you didn’t get the shot, it’s great that you got to enjoy a lovely moment!
I love taking pictures but I’d rather have people has a subject! Especially when they aren’t looking!
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Do they ever catch you? 🙂 I’ll admit it–I do that, too, sometimes.
Beautiful photograph! I can’t wait to go to Las Lajas myself. I’ve never really attempted to photography insects or butterflies – I tend to stick with people and landscape as my subject!
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Hi, Sky. Are you going to Las Lajas? Cool. There’s not much to do there, but it’s lovely. Perhaps you’ll see the same butterfly? 🙂
I LOVE to take pictures of anything in nature and butterflies are especially pretty and fun to photograph. I want to get a macro lens but haven’t yet so I have to use what I have. If it is a possiblity for you I would suggest buying a lower end DSLR. The picture quality you get will make you so much happier then even a high end point and shoot, but that is just my personal opinion :). I use a Nikon D90 and/or D2 and the lens that I used to capture my butterfly was a fixed 135mm F/2 defocus lens. Because it is fixed it takes beautifully sharp, very crisp pictures. If you are interested you can see them here at http://lightofworldphoto.smugmug.com/Nature/Flower-Garden/18981877_DwpkLM .
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Hi, Sere. Nature photography is wonderful, isn’t it? I used to have an SLR, a while back, and loved it. But it really weighed me down. I do agree that I’d probably be happier moving a step up, but….it’s a matter of price at the moment. My P/S, which is fast with at F 1.8, came in at less than the cost of many good lenses.
What I may do in the future is consider one of the micro 4/3–mirrorless–cameras. They have large sensors, but very small bodies. I love the idea of the “pancake” lens, too, which is very wide. We’ll see.
Thanks for sharing your photos. They’re wonderful!! I’ve heard that those particular Nikons are excellent. F 2 is fast, too. Cool!