Butterfly
Apr, 2018Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Ramat-Hanadiv, Israel, which is a nature preserve a few kilometers from my home. I try to visit it every couple of weeks or so for a chance to see some deer (that's not easy), and am sometimes surprised by the amount of butterflies there. This was taken on my March 15, 2018 visit to the park.Time
I started my morning around 9am at the nature preserve, after taking my daughter to school. Just after entering the park, I took a path I usually do not follow and was pleasantly surprised to find these beautiful butterflies there. This one let me get relatively close, so I got down to the ground and was able to get some pretty nice close-up shots from an unusual low angle with telephoto lens. This specific photo was taken at 9:35am.Lighting
The day was pretty cloudy so the light was on the softer side. I took this photo from a low angle to take advantage of the light from above shining through the outline of the butterfly, making it stand out.Equipment
This was taken hand-held with a Panasonic GX8, and a Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 Lens at 400mm. No other equipment was involved.Inspiration
Observing the beautiful butterflies, we usually see their top side. I was curious to see how a butterfly would look from a low angle, and this photo did not disappoint! The details of the "face", body, and legs are so interesting. I also changed my angle so that only the plant the butterfly was standing on was close enough to be in focus, so the background is nicely blurred.Editing
I cropped the picture so the butterfly, instead of being in the middle of the frame, would be at the top-left third. When processing from RAW, I also added a bit of color saturation. Other than that, nothing.In my camera bag
I usually take my Panasonic GX8 and the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 Lens on me (plus a spare battery - you can never be too careful) - this is a killer combination for wildlife! Lightweight, fast focusing, and incredible reach. It focuses to a close 1.3m, which is what I used in this photo. I usually carry a close-up lens, to enable the lens to focus closer. Unfortunately, I did not have that with me the day this photo was taken. In my bag, which I don't always take with me (and that day I did not), I have a Panasonic 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for when I want wider-angle shots. It's a very useful lens, but cannot compare with the quality of the Leica telephoto so I tend to use it only rarely. I also have extension tubes for the wide-angle lens, in case I want to take an extreme close-up photo. A Velbon Ultra Stick Super 8 Monopod is also there - very compact and lightweight, with the various plates to connect to it. A flash, some cleaning equipment, and that's pretty much it.Feedback
Butterflies require patience. They do not hear sounds, so you don't have to keep particularly quiet to get close to them, but they do respond to any minor movement of air. So you need to move slowly, and be prepared for them to fly away even if you're very careful. With some luck, you will get close enough to take a photo with incredible amounts of detail - and such pictures are definitely worth the time invested in achieving them. Though butterflies are beautiful from any angle, try for the more unusual ones, to show the details we usually do not encounter. Also - try to play with the available light. If you can get the sunlight to shine through the wings, the results can be breath-taking.
