Panasonic GF1 – 20mm – 1/50s f/1.8, ISO 100 – Special menu at the Kensington Hotel for the Christening. We had a huge family table in a private backroom, unfortunately for the other guests around the children did find the doors to wonder around the hotel.
Yesterday, we joined Maxime and Raphael’s christening lunch at the Kensington Hotel, followed by a family visit to the Natural History Museum. The highlight? The temporary butterfly tent.
Our smart-casual outfits weren’t the best choice for the tent’s humid environment, and our Panasonic GF1 struggled with indoor and close-up butterfly shots. A good reminder that traveling light has its drawbacks! 🦋🎥
Panasonic GF1 – 20mm – 1/60s f/1.8, ISO 100 – Chiara is becoming (worryingly) more and more English. After the sandwiches at 3pm for Zoe’s birthday last week-end, see her face in front of sausages and mash.
Panasonic GF1 – 20mm – 1/60-100s f/1.8, ISO 100 – Right the negative effect in Lightroom highlight the insect vs. its environment and gives a nice blue colour (not real obviously)
Photographing small insects with the GF1 + 20mm proved tricky for several reasons
- No Macro/Zoom Lens: I had to get very close to the butterflies to fill the frame, and most of the pictures on the blog are cropped to look decent.
- Focus Issues: The focus isn’t fast or precise enough. I wanted to focus on wing patterns or the head, but using the LCD screen was imprecise and slow—by the time I was ready, the butterfly had usually flown off.
- Speed/Aperture Limitations: Ideally, I needed 1/500s at f/2 or lower, but the GF1 couldn’t handle that. Where was the 5D MkII with the 100mm macro lens when I needed it? Sitting at home, just 15 minutes away…
Panasonic GF1 – 20mm – 1/100s f/1.8, ISO 100 – It was difficult to find interesting background – most of it was white or pale green, not too many flowers. The wooden frame adds some interesting perspective and also a nice brownish feel.
Panasonic GF1 – 20mm – 1/250s f/1.8, ISO 100 – Luckily this one is perfectly in focus. The head of the butterfly is on focus when everything else is not.
Panasonic GF1 – 20mm – 1/200s f/1.8, ISO 100 – Maxime and Chiara looking away, in the green in front of the national history museum. The black triangle on the top right is not a photo effect but the leg of a guy who passed just in front of me (not that we didn’t have space in the park …)