Butterfly Photography For those inspired to capture butterflies digitally, LENORA LARSON shares her wisdom and expertise.
I
have never dared write about photography because I know nothing about cameras. When an editor told me that I must use a better camera, I simply asked an experienced friend what to buy and what settings to use. Enter the Nikon D50 with the 85mm macro lens and 900 speedlight! Fortunately, cameras have so improved that deep knowledge and deep pockets are no longer necessary. You will need a Macro-lens for the extreme close-ups required; however, most point-and-shoot cameras and newer smart phones now have this function. With the technology barrier removed, I can confidently share the fun part of butterfly photography: finding and shooting them! Butterfly Collecting Insect collections are now digital rather than pitiful specimens pinned to a board. Entomological science has been greatly improved by this easy access to images with confirmed identifications and validation of unusual sightings. And photographing adults and caterpillars in their natural environments demonstrates valuable natural history. Conversely, I encourage ‘catch and pin’ insect collecting
as a fun, educational activity for young people. This will not harm butterfly populations because loss of habitat is the killer, not school children. Step One: Finding Butterflies You’ll encounter butterflies between April and mid-October. Choose a dry, windless day with temperatures above 60 degrees, and sunny since much of the color is refracted sunlight rather than pigments. Unlike many nature photographers, lepidopterists can easily find and shoot their quarry because butterflies are drawn to nectar-rich flowers where they briefly hold still while drinking. You can also position plates of rotten bananas and melon rinds for photographic convenience since many butterflies nectar on over-ripe fruit. Even though more butterflies can often be found near their caterpillar’s host plant than on flowers, they don’t hold still while courting, mating and ovipositing. I’ve tried the recommendation of placing butterflies in the refrigerator to render them temporarily immobile, but the resulting comatose butterfly doesn’t look life-like when laid on a flower. And even though they recover, I feel guilty.
A perfect combination of factors resulted in this photograph of a Red-spotted Purple butterfly nectaring on Butterfly Bush. Butterflies quickly become battle worn so some butterfly photographers raise caterpillars in order to capture the perfection of a freshly emerged butterfly as it spreads its wings for the first time. Snapping the Shot You see a beautiful butterfly, nectaring on a beautiful flower. Photographic perfection! However, the closer you approach, the more likely it will fly away. Butterflies have excellent 360 degree vision and a strong ‘startle reflex’, which means that the slightest movement will send them flying. I’ve read the recommendation to use a tripod,
but rarely will butterflies hold still while you fumble with equipment. I use ‘auto-focus’ and snap repeatedly as I carefully, slowly move closer and closer. For the top view with glorious wings spread, I like to shoot from above, but for side views, you’ll often need to kneel for eye level images. (Try to suppress the moan of pain if you have geriatric joints like mine!) I immediately transfer all images to my computer and use a photoeditor to select, crop, refine and store the image if it’s a ‘keeper.’ Make Your Luck Many factors must align for the perfect butterfly photo: you must get within a few inches of a freshly emerged butterfly that is quietly nectaring on a sunny, windless day. The good news? The more time you spend in butterfly habitats, the more likely you are to get lucky. Marais des Cygnes Extension Master Gardener and Kansas Native Plant Society member, Lenora Larson gardens and hosts butterflies in the cruel winds and clay soil of Paola, Kansas. She may be contacted at lenora.longlips@ gmail.com.
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October 2016 | kcgmag.com