Great job guys. I've alway found butterfly's to be very difficult to shoot. Partly because they never sit still, and partly because of a good composition. It is very hard to isolate them from the background. I find it best to set up on an isolated flower and wait for one to land , instead of following them around and trying to get a good shot. Here is another one i like................ Keep them coming!!
Nice work guys.
Nasseem
Your first shot here Steve is a really nice one. You've worked with the focal plane to ensure that both wingtips are pretty much in focus and the butterfly is nicely isolated from the background. Waiting for them to alight on an isolated flower in order to reduce background clutter is a good strategy to use. Remembering to choose a flower that isn't a bit dog-eared, though, is something I often let slip - and then kick myself when I look through the shots later as I find it distracts from the butterfly.
I find that butterflies that rest with either wings held flat or held upright together are quite a bit easier to shoot and get alignment right - but those like skippers (and that pretty orange one of Sahil's in post #6) that hold them at an angle are a bit of a nightmare when working with a shallow depth of field. Skippers do look good head-on, though!
Steve,
Wow~Your work is stunning!
Do I need a macro lens + flash to make such kind of picture?
Tnx.
No.................these were all shot handheld---available light (no flash, and softer light of early morning or evening)---canon 300 f/4L lens. The 300 f/4 has a magnification ratio of 0.24, which is good for light macro work . If you find that your lens won't allow you to get close enough, you could put an extention tube on it. Very inexpensive and will allow you to boost the magnification ratio of your lens. Go to the website SLR Gear and look up your lens. Click on specifications and you will see the magnification ratio and closest focus distance.
I'm now using a Nikkor 16-85mm zoom, definitely too short. I'll learn more about extention tube. Thanks alot Steve![]()
The notion of you doing these hand-held... plus waiting around for the butterfly... I have this very zen image of you sitting for several hours waiting for "the shot".![]()
Hi Nasseem: This is a beautiful composition, but to my eye and on my screen it looks quite bright and oversaturated. Unfortunately some of the highlights are blown also. I'm not sure if it could be toned down with PP, but perhaps toning it down and purposely giving it a soft focus look might be worth a try
Wendy
Who could ever get tired of butterflies? These shots are all so good and so hard to do. I love the out of focus background that most of you have been able to manage. Excellents shots, Hope to see more.
Wendy