The Illusive Butterfly
Trying to freeze the illusive butterfly in the lens of the camera can be both a rewarding and frustrating experience. I was in southern New Mexico one summer when the Western Tiger Swallowtail butterflies were out in mass, feeding on the flowering thistles. All I had to do was just stand nearby, clicking the shutter.
Western Tiger Swallowtail
Most of the time, it is not so easy to get up close and the butterfly just refuses to be still. Due to its survival instinct to flee from predators, the butterfly reacts to any movement, especially when the shadow from a moving body comes near.
Monarch
The time to photo a butterfly when it will remain still is in the early morning, before the sun catches its wings. The butterfly’s metabolism slows down at night or when it is cool. In the early morning, the wings are spread to absorb heat before the butterfly can start moving them to begin feeding.
Mourning Cloak
Having the camera on a tripod with a macro or telephoto lens allows you to get close to the butterfly and concentrate on the areas for sharp focus, which are the body and wings.
Pygmy Blue
By increasing the ISO, you can get a faster shutter speed in order to freeze the movement of the wings. As in macro photography, I try and keep the lens parallel to the area of sharpest focus.
Painted Lady
Frontal lighting is important to highlight the butterfly and bring out the accents and beautiful colors.
Pygmy Blue
Most often, if you remain still the butterfly will return to the nearby flower. A little patience and preparation by pre-focusing on the flower also has given me good results. I have heard that butterflies will not fly away if you wear dark clothes. However I can not guarantee this since most times when I'm doing nature photography, I wear light, neutral colors.
Zephyr Angelwing
What
an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love
it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get
treated to new experiences.
Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!
Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.
"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"
No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download.
All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital
Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text,
design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be
copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the
express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald.
For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please
submit a written request.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I welcome your response or feedback to this post. Please leave your comment below and share my Photo-Adventures with your family and friends. Subscribe to my blog and follow me on Facebook.