Butterfly on a tree bloom
Apr, 2018Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo of a Painted Jezebel butterfly on a tree blossom in Chonburi, Pattaya, Thailand. The Painted Jezebel is somewhat difficult to photograph because it tends to stay up high feeding off the blossoms of the trees. I've never seen one attracted to garden flowers or wildflowers that are close to the ground.Time
I took this at 4:27 p.m. in the afternoon. Since the sun sets in Thailand around 6:30 p.m. year-round, this is the reason the background is fairly dark. Normally butterflies are out earlier in the day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. so I was lucky to find this out still out so late in the day.Lighting
This photo was taken in late afternoon natural light. I would have preferred brighter lighting conditions so the beautiful colors came out more but I'm very happy I was able to take this shot.Equipment
This photo was taken hand-held in natural light with a Nikon D500 using a 200-500mm Nikkor zoom lens set at 500 mm.Inspiration
The Painted Jezebel is arguably my favorite butterfly due to its shape and beautiful colors. Unfortunately, they are few and far between where I live plus they stay high in the trees and are difficult to photograph. I was lucky to find this Painted Jezebel getting one last afternoon drink of nectar before settling in for the night which caused it to be less active which allowed for the shot.Editing
I try to do very little processing if possible because I want my nature photos to look natural and not contrived. I may do some lighting adjustment and noise correction but little else unless absolutely necessary. This shot could have been lightened but what you are seeing is pretty much as it came out of my camera.In my camera bag
Since I mostly shoot locally I rarely carry more than my camera and lens. I photograph a lot of birds, butterflies, and other insects so I shoot hand-held.Feedback
If you are shooting butterflies, forget about the "golden hours." Butterflies come out during the bright sun of mid-day. It is best to be out on a sunny day from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (I'm in the tropics where we have short days so maybe longer hours are okay in temperate climates). Butterflies don't come out early in the morning and settle in for the night before dusk. The bright mid-day sun is great for bringing out their colors but you may have to stop your camera down, especially on white or yellow butterflies, so they aren't blown out due to the bright lighting.
