Black and red on green
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Aperture f/8 ISO 4000 Shutter 1/100 Focal Length 100/1 
Scottsdale, Arizona, US
Jan, 2019Views
2654
Likes
Awards
People's Choice in Butterflies Photo Challenge
People's Choice in Beautiful Butterflies Photo Challenge
Celebrity Award
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Superior Skill
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
Genius
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank week 1
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Categories
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Platinum
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BarbsT
February 09, 2020
I love all your butterfly shots Steve, they are so sharp; may I ask what lens you use?
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Steve-n-Ning
February 09, 2020
Thank you. All my macro shots, both bugs and flowers, are shot with a Canon EF 100mm f.2.8L Macro IS USM lens. I am constantly amazed by the sharpness produced by this lens. Thank you for asking.
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kurtsnyder
July 12, 2021
Hi Steve, grat image ! I see why it won the contest and has gathered so many peer awards. I have a similar picture that I took at a butterfly atrium and I am wondering if you know what kind of butterfly it is? kurtsnyder
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Steve-n-Ning
July 12, 2021
Thanks, Kurt. I did an internet search, and I think it's an 'Antiochus Longwing'.his
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken at Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. This is the largest butterfly conservatory in the USA. It is a wonderful location for taking butterfly photos, with a variety of plant life settings and a wide variety of butterfly species.Time
This was taken in early afternoon. The building uses translucent panels for the ceiling and is open only during daylight hours, so the lighting is always diffused. This is especially true in Arizona with our abundant sunshine.Lighting
This photo was taken in natural light. As noted in 'Time of Day', the lighting is diffused sunlight.Equipment
I used a handheld Canon 5D Mk IV with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens. The aperture was set at f/8 to allow for an adequate depth of field balance between too much and too little bokeh. The background is blurred, yet the butterfly's entire body and wings are in focus. ISO was set high at 4000, which allowed for a 1/100 shutter speed.Inspiration
We had just become members of Butterfly Wonderland, I had a Canon 5D and Canon's wonderfully crisp 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens, and I was surrounded by butterflies. That was all the inspiration necessary.Editing
The only post-processing was cropping and balancing highlights and shadows in Adobe Lightroom.In my camera bag
My Canon EOS 5D Mark IV always has my Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM lens mounted on it. That is my go-to lens for the majority of my photos. I also carry several lenses: Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM and a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM. I try to shoot with natural light all the time, but on those occasions where I need an external light source, I use either a Neewer CN-216 LED panel or a Canon Speedlite 580EX. I have tripods by Slik, 3Pod and Manfrotto. I have a Canon EOS 10D, a Canon EOS 30D and a Canon EOS 7D, all of which I still have and use as appropriate.Feedback
When using a macro lens, be mindful of the depth of field. If this photo had been taken with a wide open f/2.8 aperture (instead of the f/8 used), and considering I was standing fairly close to the subject with a 100mm prime lens, the depth of field would have been too narrow and some of the butterfly's features would have been out of focus. Always be aware of both the foreground and the background, whether in nature or in a closed environment. A bad foreground/background can photobomb an otherwise great shot. Given that bokeh is desirable in this type of shot, even the wrong color of foreground/background can be problematic.
