TINY
Aug, 2015Views
1258
Likes
Awards
Featured
Staff Favorite
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Love it
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This year my husband and I planted a wild flower garden in the back of our house. Hummingbirds and all types of butterflies have been visiting the flower garden during the summer. That is where I photographed this cute skipper.Time
It was early evening. There was a little breeze so I had to follow the movement of the flower in order to get the best angle for macro.Lighting
It was partly cloudy so I had nice diffused light.Equipment
I used my Sony SLT-A65 dSLR with a Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro lens. I couldn't use a tripod due to the constant movement of the butterfly in the wind.Inspiration
I love macro photography because it reveals the small universes that surround us. This particular butterfly is about the size of a nickel so it's easy to miss. I also enjoy the technical challenge of getting what I want in focus given the narrow depth of field. Hand held macro photographs with moving subjects being the most difficult.Editing
I processed the file in Adobe Camera Raw to adjust the exposure and get the best dynamic range. I also used Clarity and Detail plug-ins from Topaz Labs to enhance detail and sharpness.In my camera bag
I carry a Sony SLT-A65 dSLR, Sony 16-55 mm wide angle lens, Tamron 70-300 mm and Tamron 16-300 mm. I also take my compact Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 for fun and creative shots. Extra batteries and memory cards for both cameras, polarized filter, graduated ND filter, and Manfrotto Aluminium tripod with a Joystick Head.Feedback
My advice for taking outdoor macro photographs is to have patience. The biggest challenge for photographing butterflies is that they don't stay still for very long so it's not practical to use a tripod. Early morning and evening are the best times to avoid harsh sun light. Windy days are very challenging, pack extra patience for those. A macro flash ring is also very helpful for photographing small insects. Since I didn't own one at the time, I used a higher ISO, focus tracking and fast burst mode at ten frames per second. My best advice is to go out and just have fun shooting, you never know what images your camera might capture.
