This weekend we took quick runs through two of Seattle’s sights. First, we decided to spend some time at Discovery Park. This park is well known for a remote beach that contains lots of interesting marine life when the tides are down. To get there, you need to either walk a few miles, take a shuttle, or drive there. With small kids, walking was not an option and the shuttle wasn’t running that day. In order to drive there you need a permit, of which there are a limited number. The administrator was nice enough to give us a pass for an hour when we should have reserved one beforehand. We spent the hour looking for crabs under rocks.
![](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/2628292622_4d78fcd356_o.jpg" width="800" height="533" alt="Purple shore crab" /></a>)
This is a purple shore crab, as evidenced by the purple top of the shell and purple dots on the arms. Unfortunately the next crab I have been unable to ID yet.
![](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3016/2627474979_b3d679bbb8_o.jpg" width="800" height="533" alt="IMG_2504" /></a>)
We then headed to the Pacific Science Center. There we found out that our tickets included a free IMAX movie of Kung Fu Panda - one of our kids favorite movies. Unfortunately that meant we only had an hour to see the entire museum. It also meant that I had all of five minutes to photograph the butterfly exhibit. I put on my 180L, MT-24EX, with the flash attached to a Wimberly macro flash bracket, and took as many shots as I could. Obviously since I was hurried the shots aren’t as good as I would have hoped, but I did validate that the 180L is what I want to use here. I haven’t had time to ID these yet.
![](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3074/2627475063_5406517afe_o.jpg" width="800" height="533" alt="IMG_2537" /></a>)
![](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3150/2628292868_1b2c4fb7df_o.jpg" width="800" height="533" alt="IMG_2548" /></a>)
![](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3104/2627475251_cf24867ac0_o.jpg" width="800" height="533" alt="IMG_2554" /></a>)
![](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/2627475321_b1d5ce515c_o.jpg" width="800" height="533" alt="IMG_2556" /></a>)
![](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3160/2628293100_92541913f8_o.jpg" width="800" height="533" alt="IMG_2568" /></a>)
![](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/2627475485_5ee5530b3c_o.jpg" width="800" height="533" alt="IMG_2590" /></a>)
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Tags: butterfly, crab, discovery park, macro, pacific science center, photography
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:06 am
I love the butterfly photos.
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:00 pm
That Bokeh is smooth as Buttah……..what a lens.
Tom
July 6th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
The butterflies are way cool, and the crabs are nice, too. (I had never heard of Kung Fu Panda. One misses a lot when one doesn’t have children, I reckon.)