Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Madison, Wisconsin

Olbrich Botanical Gardens is 16 acres of outdoor gardens with an endless supply of flowers, and other interesting plants. For my kind of photography, I prefer sunny, hot and humid days, for good numbers of butterflies and other interesting bugs on the flowers. I have found that my tripod is better off left in the car. A close focusing camera or lenses is a big help, as is Image Stabilization. A sunny day keeps the shutter speeds nice and fast. My favorite set-up for wildflowers and butterflies, is my Canon digital SLR, and Canon 100-400mm with Image Stabilization. I use my Extention Tubes to reduce the minimum focusing distance, without disabling the auto-focus, or IS.

In addition to the outdoor gardens, there is also the Bolz Conservatory. This is a 100' X 100' glass pyramid, filled with exotic tropical plants, flowers, a waterfall into a pond with goldfish, and free flying birds. The field trip I will be leading between July 17 and August 11, 2013, is planned around the Blooming Butterflies Exhibit in the Bolz Conservatory. Generally over a thousand butterflies at any givin time, mostly exotic species, not native to Wisconsin, flying loose around the conservatory, landing on flowers, ferns, and the leaves of other exotic plants, and even on the nose of that little girl in front of you! Have lots of room on your storage card in your camera!

I have learned by comparing several different trips to this location, that both inside the conservatory (during the butterfly exhibit), and in the outdoor gardens (looking for butterflies), that the same rule applies to both... MID-DAY, THROUGH THE AFTERNOON, ON A SUNNY DAY! There is no reason to get here early. When the date is set for the field trip, sleep in, and have an omlet and hashbrowns, instead of a bowl of cereal! We'll carpool and convoy, or meet at Olbrich, at about 11:00!

Here is a link to a page that I put together after a LightCatchers Photography Club field trip to Olbrich Botanical Gardens, that I led, on July 31, 2010...
Photos are from inside the conservatory, and the outdoor gardens.

Olbrich Field Trip - July 31, 2010

Olbrich is located on theNorth / NorthEast shore of Lake Monona.

DIRECTIONS - If you have GPS, you can enter the address... 3330 Atwood Avenue, Madison, WI, 53704
From Waupun, or Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, I take Highway 151, SouthWest, to Madison, and turn left (south) on North Fair Oaks Avenue, which turns to South Fair Oaks Avenue, before you turn LEFT on ATWOOD Avenue. Then only a few blocks to the entrence to the Olbrich parking lot on your left.

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