Butterly
There was a Kaleidoscope of butterflies attracted to a flower bush in my yard. This is an example of one of many that likes to sit there for hours....
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There was a Kaleidoscope of butterflies attracted to a flower bush in my yard. This is an example of one of many that likes to sit there for hours.
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Sep, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in my front yard when I noticed a lot of butterflies flying around the flower bush pictured. I am still learning lighting and capturing moving object so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity.Time
This is one of my absolute favorite photos I've ever taken. I was out midday just admiring what spring looked like where I live. I only had my camera on me, no extra lenses, and no tripod. When I noticed the butterflies I knew I had to capture one and this one was just in the perfect place. I got down as low as I could and balanced my camera on a stack of rocks. I set the timer so I wouldn't accidentally shake the camera and backed away.Lighting
Surprisingly the cloudy day made for the best lighting to capture exactly what I wanted. The sun was just enough behind a cloud to give an overall even light source.Equipment
Pentax K-30 body, 18-55mm lensInspiration
I've always loved capturing the contrast insects and their natural habitat. When I noticed the contrast between the green of the leaves and the yellow of the butterfly's wings I knew I had to capture it. It summed up the start of spring perfectly for me.Editing
I did quite a bit of processing to this photo. I wanted it to look natural but also wanted it to look like it wasn't really a photo. I wanted people to look at it and wonder if it is actually a photo or not. I bumped the contrast way up, fixed some of the blown-out whites, increased the saturation and sharpened up the butterfly a small bit.In my camera bag
The first thing that goes into my bag is a small tripod. I do mostly animal photography and need something I can grab and set up quickly. The next thing I grab is my Pentax K-30 it is foolproof for the most part. If you want you can make it a glorified point and shoot. If I am just going out for some quick shoots this is my go-to. I then pack my favorite 35mm macro lens along with a standard 15-55mm lens. And last but certainly not least are my 10 SD cards.Feedback
Butterflies like to move, a lot. Patience is key in a situation like this. Don't get frustrated when you have the perfect butterfly in the perfect angle and it flies away right as you snap the photo. Take a lot of pictures, I took over 100 photos of this single butterfly before finally capturing the one I wanted. Sometimes it seems like you won't get the shot you want but patience and determination can make it happen.
