After a few years of photographing several species of butterflies, I have picked up some tricks on how to photograph these tricky little insects.
Photography Equipment
Typically I use a 90mm macro lens for most of my images. This length lens works well because you can get a full frame photo without getting too close to the butterfly so as not to scare it away. The ideal range would be from 80mm - 120mm or even larger for the more shy species. I would also suggest you pick a lens that has a 1:1 ratio which basically means that at minimum focusing distance, the subject will be true to life size on your negative or slide. This is essential for small butterflies (less than an inch in size). As with most wildlife, the faster the lens (smaller the f-stop), the better.
Lighting can be very important, especially if you are photographing butterflies that live in forests or areas with poor lighting. Ring flashes and external mounted flashes typically work much better because they can be adjusted for optimal lighting. On-camera flashes usually don't work so well because of the short focusing distances and direct lighting. For most of my images, I use natural ambient lighting, however, I typically get better results when I use a shoe mounted or hand-held corded flash unit for fill or in poor lighting situations.
Setup and Getting close to the butterfly
This can be the trickiest part of capturing these beautiful insects on film. Since most butterflies are fairly active and shy, you don't have much time to setup. There are tricks to get around this (such as capturing them in advance and placing them in a cold environment for the setup shot), however, I prefer to photograph them in a natural undisturbed state.
When to photograph
The best time to photograph most butterflies is early in the morning or later in the evening. This works out well because this is usually when you have the best lighting conditions for photography in general. The reason for this is that typically it is much colder in during these hours and you can find even the most active butterflies resting on leaves and branches or sunning themselves for warmth.
Butterfly Photography Techniques
After doing this for so long as a professional biologist, you begin to learn patterns and personalities of the different species. Some butterflies keep their wings closed with they land and hardly ever open them except to sun themselves (Brown Elfins are known for this) so you will typically only find under-wing photographs. Others are continuously flapping their wings, even when sunning.
Let the butterfly get comfortable with you
This may sound funny at first, but they are like most other animals in this regard. Once they assess that you are not there to eat them, they will begin to ignore your presence. The best way to do this is to sit still and make very little movement. When you do move, move as if you are in slow motion with no fast or jerky movements.
Observe the butterflies movements and territory
Most butterflies have a territory which it will patrol with favorite hangouts. If you observe long enough, you will begin to notice the specific places it like to land. This makes it very easy to predict where it will land at any given time so you may setup near that landing spot. I have found that even individual butterflies will have differing personalities, so don't get fooled in to believing that the species you are after are all going to act the same way.
Tips
- You can find butterflies everywhere in almost every climate. Search your vegetable garden, yard, or local park.
- Buy a butterfly or insect identification book for your region and check to see what habitats the different species occupy. Find their 'host plant' or favorite nectaring sources. Make sure to pay attention to their life cycle as some butterflies can only be found for a few months of the year.
- For more exotic species, find a butterfly aviary, many zoos and major cities have them.
- Take a field trip to your local natural history museum. You may have to call ahead and make a reservation, but many natural history museums have extensive pinned collections available by appointment.
Author: Jean-Paul LaCount
