Orange Butterfly Glow
This pink zinnia glowed so strong in the full sun that it reflected back onto the butterfly's wings.
This pink zinnia glowed so strong in the full sun that it reflected back onto the butterfly's wings.
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Apr, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in my own flower garden right out on my back deck. Sometimes the most beautiful images happen in the most ordinary places.Time
Believe it or not, this photo was taken at a time of day usually deemed to be a photographer's worst enemy - mid-afternoon. The bright sunlight is what made the image so powerful to me - the reflection of color off the flower up onto the butterfly wouldn't have happened any other time of day.Lighting
I used nothing more than Mother Nature's lighting to capture this image - nothing else was needed.Equipment
I used a Canon 6D with a EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens. It's my favorite go-to lens for shooting flowers, butterflies, and birds.Inspiration
I planted my flower garden as a way to feel closer to my mom who passed away suddenly in 2013. She was an avid gardener who always encouraged me to use gardening as a peaceful hobby. As I said goodbye to her, I promised that I would work on my gardening skills. I had no idea the zinnias I planted the following spring would attract so many beautiful butterflies and birds. It was a natural connection for me to keep my camera handy by the door to capture any visitors that came to enjoy my flowers. So I like to think my mom inspired me to take this photo because I always think of her each time I look out at the beauty of my flower garden.Editing
The only post processing I did to this image was to bump up the contrast a tiny bit. Otherwise, it's straight out of the camera. The colors were so incredible, it made my heart sing.In my camera bag
I always have my Canon 6D in my bag with three lenses - the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM I used for this photo, my other favorite lens which is a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, and my "just in case" back-up lens which is a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens that hardly ever leaves my bag.Feedback
My advice on capturing an image similar to this one is simply to keep your eyes open. So often we get caught up seeking out something special that we overlook the things that are right in front of us. There's beauty all around us every single day if we only stop to take a look around sometimes.
