Callaway Resort & Gardens

As I left the butterfly house at Callaway Gardens on Sunday I found a friendly bird sitting in a tree. As I mentioned yesterday I didn’t have my zoom lens with me but I gave it a try with the 105mm macro lens. My friend was not in any hurry to escape me and I was able to get closer than I thought possible. These images are still cropped heavily but I’m happy with the results…

Callaway Resort & Gardens

I knew it was a little early in the year to visit Callaway Gardens for floral macros but I told myself I don’t need to spend the whole day on the couch. I can be very good at being lazy and I need to practice resistance to this particular talent. The drive is twenty-five minutes and the excuses really don’t hold up under scrutiny. I headed out around noon (I’m not completely crazy, I waited until it warmed up a little).

I was right, not many opportunities but the scarcity of subjects steeled my resolve to find interesting images. It was a good day to expand my vision beyond the obvious. And, it was a good day for a walk.

As I was returning to the Discovery Center, I found a lone goose enjoying the calm waters of a secluded section of the lake. My zoom lens was back in the car but I did have the 105mm macro lens currently attached to the camera. Time to make the best of this situation. My first few captures ended up being the best, but I spent a little time following the goose as it did it’s best to float away from me.

Callaway Resort & Gardens

Callaway Resort & Gardens

I had been looking forward to the weekend. Although Sunday was supposed to (is) bring rain, Saturday held a lot of promise. I wanted to go back to Callaway Gardens. My previous visit was a little early for the azalea blooms. I was also hoping there would still be some tulips to capture too.

It was a great morning! I arrived as the park opened and immediately noticed the azaleas. This was going to be fun. My first stop was the Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl. It wasn’t the explosion of color I had envisioned in my head but totally worth the stroll through the trails.

I managed to time my exploration so I could attend the Birds of Prey show at the Discovery Amphitheater. The last few visits I missed the first show at 11am and the second show isn’t until 3pm. I brought the long zoom lens for this very reason.

It was a very good show. They not only showcased a few of the birds they are caring for but did a good job educating the audience. For a photographer, there are a lot of opportunities to capture the birds in flight. I didn’t have my camera setup for the action shots but was able to get a few really nice close-ups.

I’ll be going back for the action shots… 🙂