cathyrossi

Female Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Butterfly Bush_MG_2389 (2)

Female Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Butterfly Bush_MG_2389 (2)

Canon EOS 70D

settings

Aperture 63/10 ISO 400 Shutter 1/250 Focal Length 135/1

upload_date

Aug, 2016

Views

377

Likes

+77

Awards

Winner in Beauty of Nature Photo Challenge

Peer Award

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Magnificent Capture

Superior Skill

Absolute Masterpiece

Platinum

This is not a monarch butterfly. It is most likely a female tiger swallowtail.

Thanks for the correction

Beautiful shot! Congrats.

See all

Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Crane13232920_1027859420582599_1143582746520715473_n

This cat's name is Rascal and is 13 years old but still plays like a kitten. He lives with Elena and Buddy Tassoni, my inlaws in Providence, RI.

This beauty, Olivia is a rescue kitty in a happy home with two other rescued cats...all playful and healthy

This is Asian Lilly from my back yard last summer. They were pristine, beautiful and the color!

Testore Violin made 1749, sky at Conner Prairie 2008

For the fifth day of Barbara Mueller's photo challenge, here is our friend

Testore Violin Scroll 1749 _MG_2092 (2) copy

Temple Of Concordia, Sicily.. 440-430 BC

Behind The Lens

Location

This shot was taken in my back perennial garden. I went out to weed the area, but the female Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly caught my eye as she slowly fluttered from rose to rose, then over to me to examine my face. When she settled again I went into the house to get the camera for a quick shot, and managed to capture her visit as she enjoyed feeding on the pink flowers of the butterfly bushes. I live in Indiana and have gone to the Indianapolis Art Center for Digital Photography courses. My teacher, Robert Zyromski encourages us to keep our camera handy for quick, spontaneous shots.

Time

This was taken mid-afternoon on a bright overcast day which is particularly good for photography. I followed the butterfly taking a few photos for nearly 10 minutes as she explored what seemed to be every flower in my garden. They are slow and graceful butterflies, but it took me a while to get the shot I wanted because she never sat still even for a short period of time. Luckily the light was good and the temperature was comfortable. It almost seemed as though she was friendly because she came over to me every few minutes to check what I was doing.

Lighting

Bright overcast lighting is good for this type of photography as it doesn't create shadows.

Equipment

My camera is a Canon EOS 70D which I used handheld with no flash for this shot. I do have a UV Filter on the lens most of the time unless I use my Circular Polarizing filter.

Inspiration

The inspiration to take this photo was the beautiful butterfly's connection with me. We followed each other through the garden and she seemed undaunted by my presence. She ended the session as she flew off to check the neighbor's garden for interesting flowers.

Editing

I did do some post-processing, but not very much. I simply checked it for composition, added a bit of color saturation and sharpened it. The original photo is almost as you see it.

In my camera bag

In my camera bag I carry my Canon EOS 70D with the kit lens EF-S 18-135 IS STM. In spite of the fact I am an enthusiastic photographer this lens is good for just about any occasion right now. But I do plan to buy a more powerful zoom and a wide angle lens in the near future. Also, I carry lens cleaning equipment.

Feedback

To capture good photos I would encourage anyone to be friendly and patient with birds and wildlife. Spend time in the area with them in a gentle, non threatening way. When they trust you they will be natural without fear and allow you to photograph.

See more amazing photos, follow cathyrossi

cathyrossi

cathyrossi

Female Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Butterfly Bush_MG_2389 (2)

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow cathyrossi

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.