Butterfly on Cosmos
Feb, 2018Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in my own backyard in Central Texas. I have a small flower bed on my patio where I have Cosmos that grow taller than me every year. They attract a variety of butterflies, which I enjoy very much.Time
This image was taken at 4:50 pm on a gorgeous fall day near the end of October. My patio is shaded at that time of the afternoon, but the butterflies are active and the light is so wonderful at that time of day.Lighting
It wasn't quite the "golden hour", but with the shade on my patio area the light was very similar.Equipment
This was shot using my Olympus E-5 with an Olympus 50-100 mm lens, f4.5, 1/200, ISO 400. I loved this camera, but have since switched to Canon.Inspiration
I have always loved trying to take macro shots of flowers and flower parts. That's one of the reasons I planted the bed of cosmos on my patio. Once the butterflies started coming around for those pretty flowers, it became quite the challenge to try to get some nice shots of them. I get quite a few monarchs and gulf fritillary butterflies, but this is the first time I had seen one like this one. Sorry I don't know what kind of butterfly this is! I have never set up a tripod and timer, so when the butterflies are active I grab my camera, pick a spot to stand in and then wait. I have learned that I have to be very still--and very patient in order for the butterflies to get comfortable with me being in the middle of the flower bed. I simply wait for one of them to land in my shooting zone, and then I take as many shots as I can get. I hope to catch nice angles such as this one that shows off the butterfly's beauty.Editing
I did some minor editing in Lightroom to adjust vibrance, contrast, and highlights, but didn't do anything else to the image.In my camera bag
My camera bag always has my Canon 5D MKIII and my "go-to" 24-70mm lens. Depending on what I'm shooting, I may also pack my Canon 100 mm lens or perhaps my Canon 70-200 lens. I have other lenses if I need a wider angle or more zoom, but I usually have 2 of the 3 listed lenses in my bag all the time.Feedback
Butterflies are challenging to try to capture, but it is so fun to do. Definitely be patient. While a macro lens would be great, the butterflies prefer you to use a lens with a little more reach so you don't have to be so close to get the shot you want. Watch the butterflies for a little while to see which flowers they keep returning to. They will have favorites! Figure out the best composition around favorites, then park yourself in a position to get that shot and wait for the butterfly to land in your zone. If you have a tripod with a remote control, that might be helpful as well. Have a great time and happy shooting!
