butterfly
Oct, 2014Views
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Superb Composition
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Outstanding Creativity
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this shot while in the Mijas mountains in the Malaga province of SpainTime
we travelled up the mountain by cable car at around mid-day so it was very hot and dryLighting
It was a very hot day with strong sunlight and no cloud coverEquipment
I used a Nikon D5100 with a Sigma DG 70-300mm lensInspiration
I was shooting the landscape and interesting flowers and fauna when I noticed this wonderful butterfly. Flying insects are usually very hard to shoot unless in an environment like a Butterfly farm or hot house so I didn't think I had much chance of getting a good shot because the area was so open and he was some distance away but I noticed he kept returning to the same few flower heads to feed and decided to try my luck.Editing
There was very little post-processing involved with these shots other than a little bit of colour and contrast correctionIn my camera bag
I carry 2 Nikon cameras - D3100 and Nikon D5100, 3 lenses - 18-55mm kit lens, 35mm and Sigma DG 70-300mm for distance which also takes great sharp macro. I have a few coloured filters and a new ND 1000 filter for long exposures.Feedback
Getting these shots involved a lot of patience, luckily the insect kept returning to the same few flower heads again and again so each time he flew off I would move a little bit closer, keeping the focal point trained on the same landing spot and firing off a few shots each time the butterfly landed. I didn't have my tripod with me so I balanced the camera on my knee or a rock as I advanced. When I'm shooting things in flight like birds or insects I keep both eyes open as it's easier to track the subject in your peripheral vision, it takes a bit of getting used to but I find it much easier to track until it enters the frame.
