Feeding Monarch
Feb, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the garden where I work. The grounds team maintains a very large garden with an amazing array of different flowers. We are also in the path of the Monarchs migration so during certain times of the year the garden is in full bloom and full of butterflies. This photo is one of the first photos I took with my new Nikon 200-500mm af-s lens after I got it.Time
This photo was taken early afternoon just after lunch time. After eating lunch I took a walk through the garden to relax. I wanted to take some photos and test out my new lens. I found this flower in the right place with a clean background and good light on it so I sat and waited for a butterfly to land on it.Lighting
This photo was taken with natural lighting and I did not modify the light in any way with reflectors or anything. I took this from far away with a zoom lens to help isolate the flower and butterfly from the background. I did search for the right flower with the right lighting on it and then waited for the butterfly to land on it.Equipment
This photo was shot with the Nikon D7000 in shutter priority mode auto iso auto white balance RAW with the Nikon 200-500mm AF-S zoom lens.Inspiration
The beautiful garden that I can wander through during my lunch break inspired me to take this photo. I work in a very beautiful place and I am lucky that we have a team of people working tirelessly to create an abundant garden. I enjoy watching the hummingbirds and butterflies. When I saw the vibrant color of this flower I felt that it would go great with the bright orange Monarch so I waited until the opportunity came up. I try my best not to get stuck in the gear debate or the mindset that gear is all important. I really try to just go out and make art no matter what I have with me at the time however on this particular occasion I had just purchased the new Nikon 200-500mm AF-S lens and I was inspired to go out and try it out. I was very excited to have a new telephoto that would give me a little bit extra reach for the birds and insects in the garden. I took this photo on one of the first days after I got the new lens so I was really pushing myself to use it every day.Editing
This photo received minimal post processing. Some color correction increase saturation nothing major I wanted to keep it simple with this photograph to really showcase what my eyes saw.In my camera bag
Every day I go to work I carry a Mindshift Gear Backlight 27L backpack. In it I have my D7000 attached to the 200-500mm AF-S. Other lenses I carry with me are the 35mm f1.8, the 70-200mm AF-S f4, the Sigma 10-20mm, and a lensbaby Spark. I also have extra batteries, a lens brush and blower for cleaning, and several external HD's 1 and 2 tb. In the front of my backpack I have my 15" retina macbook pro, a few field notebooks, adapters, cables, and a leatherman tool.Feedback
Patience is key here. Scope out the environment where you know your subject likes to live. Watch their behavior and you can learn where they will land and when. Pre-focus helps with fast moving creatures feeding on flowers. Find your flower and wait. They will come to you if you are quiet and still. Keep an eye on your background I have tossed many good photos due to busy backgrounds.
