Delicate Dancer
Feb, 2014Views
1075
Likes
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Exceptional Contrast
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Jaw Dropping
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this picture at Butterfly World in Dania, Florida. I was there with my then six year old daughter. This Malachite butterfly was teasing me for about ten minutes before he finally landed for this photo op!Time
It was late afternoon and I was being pulled towards the gift shop and snack bar. It was one of the last images I took that day. It was by far the best!Lighting
When shooting outside, luck plays a big part. I saw the afternoon lighting on this branch and I waited, and waited for a hungry butterfly to find it. Patience also is a definite must when shooting wildlife. I planted my back yard as a butterfly garden so when I can't get to Dania, the butterflies come to me!Equipment
Always use a tripod when shooting macro! The only problem with that is that many places you go, will not allow the use of a tripod. I use things in the environment to help steady the camera. I was resting my camera on a sturdy railing and like a sniper, I steady my hands and hold my breath when I finally snap the picture! I shot this with a Nikon D-60 and a 300mm Macro lens. The large lens sufficiently blurs the background and makes the butterfly really stand out!Inspiration
I love butterflies! They are like miniature works of living art! Every one is slightly different, all are extremely fragile and yet resilient!Editing
Very little if any. When I took this picture, I hadn't learned much more than color correction and brightness and contrast in photoshop. I know a little more now, but in general I don't like to do much adjusting. I sometimes straighten the picture and crop distracting elements off the edges, but that's about it.In my camera bag
Now I shoot primarily with a D-7100 when I'm doing serious photography. I have a 500mm lens, a wide angle to go with a 70-300mm macro lens, a standard 18-55mm lens. I also play with a 1955 roliflex that still works beautifully, and I have a Nikon coolpix 5100 that is rarely away from my side!Feedback
Always use a tripod! I generally don't use the auto focus when shooting macro. Sometimes when using the auto focus, the camera wants to focus on other things at different depths of field. Often you lose what you are shooting at while the camera is trying to find the correct focal distance. I always pre-focus on a particular flower that is well lit then I wait for the insect to come to the flower. Patience is critical, as you are going to miss more often than you are going to hit! I also use the sports setting on the camera so I can take many shots in succession. Once the insect lands where you want him, then you can roll off a dozen or so shots. Many of the shots will come out, but you will be less likely to miss that perfect shot! I highly recommend planting a butterfly garden in your yard! This way you won't have to travel far when the photography "itch!"
