Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens

The Conservatory in the Botanical Gardens

A Great way to spend the day around Los Angeles for Art Lovers and Botanical Garden fans. 

Not far from Pasadena in San Marino you will find the the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens on 120 acres of well keep grounds. (not counting the work that is being done on the grounds)
 First off I'am not the Library, Art collection type of person, however I did walk through most of the indoor exhibits, but at a faster pace than most stopping at the more well know bits "Gainsborough's Blue Boy and Lawrence's Pinkie, Gutenberg Bible on Vellum. (well cultured now you say)

Bamboo and Graffiti

The Botanical Gardens was the part that I liked the most, from the Chinese Garden to the Australian Garden, there was an abundance of wildlife to check out, from local resident birds to the hummingbirds buzzing around in front of us, and the lizards that were scurrying across the walkways and between the cactus, stopping for a quick look up and then carry on their way. Not a bad way to spend 4 hours or so.

Koi fish and lilies

Next time, and there will be one, I would go on a weekday (gates open at 10am) take a zoom lens for the hummingbird and Lizard shots, tripod and my Gopro for some time-lapse, the photos here were taken with a Sigma wide angle 17 - 70 that I was testing and using for the first time (very pleased with it)

The Wildlife Around Us

Over the last month we have had this Coyote coming into our back yard for the shade. As long as you are on the tractor or using the mower he just walks pass and takes his spot under the trees for the hottest part of the day.

California Coyote

Another visitor is the the Red Tail Hawk that can be seen in the mornings hunting squrriels around the property

Young Red Tail Hawk

Western Fence Lizard

Male Western Fence Lizard

Western Fence Lizard

What ever you like to call these guys, ranging from Western Fence lizard, Pacific Fence or California Fence Lizard they make great subjects to photograph sitting on their tree stump or rock soaking up the the morning sun as the males do their pushups to impress the ladies. You can get quite close to them and over time they don't seem to mine you being around.
       On this particular day he was out sunning himself trying to impress everything that walked passed, after setting up the tripod and camera this little guy seem to get more friendlier and came out for longer periods of time enjoying the spotlight.
       I was using a Canon 7D and Sigma 50 to 500 zoom lens for these shots, photos taken in the morning around 8am, Setting ISO 800 | 500mm | f/14 | 1/400

Male Western Fence Lizard

  Larger photos can be seen at Wildlife Around Us