Wrong Lens Dave

In an ideal world, so I’m told, photographers should plan their shoots so that they always have all the right equipment with them, and it should be readily to hand.  This is of course so that they can guarantee to return from the shoot with amazing images that their friends, family, clients and the world at large will subsequently drool over.

This is essential for the pro photographer, who needs to earn his living, however, I am afraid that for this poor amateur, planning is rarely done very seriously.  It is usually limited to the thought that if my wife and I go to a particular destination, then I might, if I’m lucky, get a few good images, maybe landscape or maybe wildlife, depending on where we are off to.

For me, photo opportunities often occur with absolutely no warning and it is normal, that when the do, I have the wrong lens on the camera.

It was just such an occasion back during the summer, when we were strolling along the bank of the River Parrett, near Langport, taking some average landscape shots with my 12-60mm lens.  Suddenly this rather attractive Peacock Butterfly appeared and landed on some nearby teasels, just down the bank of the river.  I had my 70-300mm lens in the bag, but there was no chance of getting it onto the camera before the insect flew off, so I went with what I had.  When this sort of thing happens my wife stands (fairly) patiently and afterwards asks whether I have got any good pictures.  My normal response is of course “I had the wrong lens”.  This happens so often that she tends to refer to me as ‘Wrong Lens Dave’.

I thought that this butterfly was attractive enough that I would post the images even though they were taken with the wrong lens.  The butterfly was teasing (or should that be teaseling) me.

Peacock – Inachis io

“I’ll pose for a moment or two”

Peacock Butterfly

“Come on, I’m not hanging about”

Peacock Butterfly

“Get a move on, I’m trying to get my lunch”

Peacock Butterfly

“I’m not waiting any longer”

Peacock Butterfly

“That’s it, I’m off”

I’m just pleased that he waited around for me for about half a minute.

I could have been walking with the 70-300mm on the camera, but on that afternoon we didn’t see much other wildlife so I did actually have the right lens.  So there!