I recently had the pleasure of checking out the Butterflies Alive! exhibit at the Lubbock Science Spectrum and, while I can’t say I was blown away with the presentation, it was certainly a lot of fun.

It’s hard to compare a traveling butterfly exhibit to a permanent fixture like the Cockrell Center in Houston, but it was impressive by Lubbock standards. They touted 600 butterflies, but we found that a little hard to swallow. There were, however, plenty of insects on display. Though most of them seemed to be of one or two varieties (with the Monarch’s easiest to spot), there were a few hidden gems in the bunch.

In addition to the butterfly photo ops, there are also a number of amazing plants and flowers to shoot. I’m still getting used to this manual focus lens, so a lot of mine didn’t turn out so well. All the more reason to return!

Outside of the atmospherically controlled enclosure, they have a small display set up showing a number of species in the chrysalis phase. I always find this interesting (and you never know which ones are going to be bursting forth that day!). With my trusty 105mm macro lens in hand, I captured some amazing shots of a chrysalis. I am simply bewildered by how perfectly symmetrical the cocoons are.

Chrysalis shots from the Butterflies Alive! exhibit
Probably the coolest shot I got. Would’ve loved to try focus stacking on this, but didn’t have the time (or the tripod!). Buy this print!

You’ll also find a photo wall with art from a number of local artists (including yours truly!) that’s definitely worth checking out.

I’ll try to post some more photos if I end up going back. They’re supposed to be hosting an evening event during the April First Friday Art Trail, so we’ll see if I make it back over there.