Orange on Green
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Aperture f/8 ISO 1000 Shutter 1/80 Focal Length 100/1 
Scottsdale, Arizona, US
Jan, 2019Views
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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. Note that both the foreground and the background are blurred, yet the butterfly's entire body and wings are in focus. ISO was set high at 1000, which allowed for a 1/80 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
These days, I carry my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, which always has my Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L ii 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 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II 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 also have a Canon 30D and a Canon 10D with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens for backup.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.
