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Mar, 2015Views
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Top 20 rankSame photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I am not a professional photographer by any means. I love using natural light as often as I can. I was with my sister and my nephew in Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada, and we visited a butterfly conservatory that was in the area. We had our cameras and took many many photos that day. This particular photo happened to be one of my favorites. I love the colors and the contrast of the purple flowers behind the butterfly. I love the movement of the swirling vines behind as well. Everything just came together in this photo.Time
It was earlier in the day and the sunlight is everywhere in this building. But I positioned myself so that the light was behind the butterfly to enhance the colors and patterns in the butterflies wings. I don't like to use my flash unless I really have to, so having so much natural light to photograph the butterflies was fantastic.Lighting
There are times when you really don't want the light behind your subject. But in this case I did exactly that. The glow of light in the wings just enhances them and makes the butterfly the main focal point. I would move slightly this way or that way to get just the right shot with the light working with me and not against me. It's a good thing I'm patient.Equipment
I used a Canon SX40 HS point and shoot. I really did love that camera, but I outgrew it. I used no tripod or flash.Inspiration
I tend to take a lot of photos of nature, places that I tend to walk or hike to. This was just an opportunity that my sister and I who also loves photography decided we had check out and enjoy. We had preplanned some of our trip there and this made the list! We were in there for quite some time, enjoying the butterflies and taking photos. It is extremely warm in there for any people who may be considering going. But my love of nature and the beauty it represents inspired us to go and have an adventure there. There were so many butterflies, so much color and varieties of different species. There was something to see everywhere you looked. I even had a blue morph butterfly land on me while we there. I had a bright sweater on so it was attracted to that. It was something we won't soon forget. I took a lot of great photos that day, but this one is one of my very favorites.Editing
I did crop this photo from the original. There was a lot more background vines and such. I wanted the butterfly to be the focus. I tweaked the contrast and the brightness a bit just to make it pop a bit more.In my camera bag
I had my Canon SX 40 HS at the time. A cloth to clean the lens, a lens blower for dust, an extra battery, and extra memory cards. Since the time this photo was taken, my gear has grown since I have replaced that camera. It has been passed along to my son who has been quite impressed with the photos it takes.Feedback
If someone wanted to practice their photography with butterflies, this is the place to do it. There are no winds, lots of plants with butterfly friendly blooms, and many opportunities to get a good photo of a butterfly. Dress for a warm humid climate, its acclimated for the butterflies. There are different conservatories in different provinces, so check your local area to see what is near you. Patience is important, you may have to wait until someone moves out of your way, or for the butterfly to move a certain way. You may want the sun to come out from behind the cloud to light up your shot. I spent a lot of time looking, framing it, moving around a bit, just to get the right shot. So be patient and you should walk away with a few shots that you can be proud of.
