This time of year in the northern part of the United States is typically cold and gray. During a long weekend recently, I was able to visit the Franklin Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, OH on a day where rain wouldn’t let me do much outside. The vibrant colors were a welcome sight!

I don’t get a chance to use my macro lens very often and I came really close to not taking it with me and I’m happy I did. I ended up taking way more pictures than I thought I was going to and quickly ran the camera battery down. Of course I remember to bring everything else with me except for extra batteries!

I was also lucky enough to see the butterfly exhibit. Now, I’m not a big fan of butterflies but there were some rather neat looking ones. It was surprising how close you could get to them and how some would even crawl on you! Before you leave the enclosure, the conservatory has full-length mirrors so you can check to see if you have any hitchhikers.

I took over 1,500 photos that day but wanted to post a couple quickly. If you ever have the chance to visit the Franklin Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, I suggest you stop by and walk through the many gardens they have even if it is on a rainy day.

-Tim