Red Lacewing
Mar, 2017Views
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Awards
Peer Choice Award
Contest Finalist in Macro Butterflies Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Virtuoso
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
Each year from early March to the end of April, Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, MI opens its huge tropical greenhouse to a butterfly bonanza. They hatch and release hundreds of butterflies from South America and Asia. Once the butterflies hatch, they are released to fly freely for the visitors to watch and photograph.Time
This shot was taken in mid-afternoon when the sun was still high enough to light the inside of the greenhouse. Otherwise the orientation of the building does not lend itself to strong enough lighting to photograph the young insects.Lighting
I in this case, the lighting is all natural. I opt not to use any artificial lighting.Equipment
I use a Sony 77II with a Sigma 50-500 zoom lens. This gives me the flexibility to quickly frame the shot without having to follow the subject around the display area, hoping that it will land in a better place. It also allows me to not have to crop and enlarge the picture, letting me retain as much subject detail as possible. This picture was hand held.Inspiration
Keep in mind this is Michigan where a good part of the winter there is one color outside, white. The butterfly exhibit is one of the few subjects with lots of color at this time of year.Editing
For the most part I will always use a combination of Photoshop and Nik sharpening software as well as heighten the contrast.In my camera bag
I have always found that if I do my research properly I will not have to carry a lot of equipment. By research I mean pre-study about the sun angle for the day(s) I will be on site, others experiences in shooting the same subject matter, and what equipment they found works best for the type of shot I want to make. This really keeps the weight down.Feedback
Butterflies don't necessarily hold still while you get artround to setting your camera for the opportunity. Determine in advance what you want to achieve so you can preset your ISO and aperture. Opening up the aperture and consequently reducing the depth of field allows me to capture the subject and let the out of focus background become a natural frame. The viewer will not be distracted by extraneous items in the shot.
