Getting the hang of it!!

[55bloke]

In an earlier thread (Am I doing something wrong?) I mentioned how disapointed I was with the 3 diopter close-up lens I'd bought for my Canon S51S. Well, having taken on board the replies I got in that thread, I've been persevering, and I think I'm getting the hang of it!!





Can anyone tell me what this Speckled Wood is feeding on?

is this a Dingy Skipper?

and, what is this minute moth?








and a few non butterflies!

[55bloke]

Don't know why, but those pics are cropped far more severely than they were when I posted them? How does that happen? Deapth of field is still an issue, but I'm very pleased with the way the camer's built-in flash works with the lens.

[Padfield]

Don't know why, but those pics are cropped far more severely than they were when I posted them? How does that happen? Deapth of field is still an issue, but I'm very pleased with the way the camer's built-in flash works with the lens.

It depends on your screen resolution. All the picture is there, regardless (right-click and copy, then paste into an image programme and you will see the whole thing) but in low screen resolution the right-hand side will be cropped.

They look great pictures to me, but I'm a butterfly man not a photographer, so I won't give any critique!!

Guy

[eccles]

Definitely getting the hang of it. A couple there are worthy of entry in the monthly UKB competition.

[55bloke]

Definitely getting the hang of it. A couple there are worthy of entry in the monthly UKB competition.

Thank you, appreciate your comment.

[vawn]

could i just ask how you managed to get a shot, i mean whenever i get within 5ft of one, it flies away! is there a magic trick i don't know about?!

[55bloke]

There really is no secret- just need lots of patience!! An understanding of behaviour, and close observation of habits helps a lot, but in the end it really is just a matter of patience!! For every good shot, there will be hundreds where the subjuct "just fies away," often long before you get within 10 feet!! Plus, some species are far more co-operative than others! Skippers seem happy to just sit there whilst you photograph them, and any of the Nymphalids are pretty easy to shoot when they're feeding, but others are just toooooo camera shy! I've just come back from a trip to Canada (may actually get round to posting some pics, eventually!!) and I spent possibly the most frustrating afternoon ever trying to photograph Sulphur Butterflies (which are virtually identical to Couded Yellows) and I never got closer than 10 feet to one!! Only managed long range shots on full zoom, very unsatisfactory.

[eccles]

Approach slowly. If that fails try again more slowly!
Turn the camera on before you get too close. The sudden 'whirr' of a lens cycling through autofocus or popping out from the camera can send some butterflies off.
Avoid casting your shadow on the butterfly. Even if that doesn't spook it, it'll fly off when the shadow is removed.
Watch your feet as the chances are the butterfly will be as well.
Once you've got within range be careful how you move your hands and arms when you take the shot.
Choose cooler days rather than hot ones, or failing that shoot early morning or late afternoon.
Butterflies that are occupied are less alert so catch them when nectaring.

[Vixpix]

[quote="eccles"]Approach slowly. If that fails try again more slowly!

Spot on Mike, i like to do impersonations of a Sloth when i'm doing butterfly or dragonfly photography
Knowing the behaviour is also important as is time of day and weather conditions. bright overcast conditions also help to reduce contrast in your images and colours will be more saturated.
If they still fly away when approached, i get low and crawl towards them as they seem less bothered by short people (i'm 6ft 3 and stick out like a sore thumb)
Your clothing will also affect what a butterfly sees of you, so subdued clothing or a camoflage jacket will help.
Stealth is the name of the game!!

Regards Vic.

[Dave McCormick]

I have found out that if you watch a species of butterfly long enough, you'll eventually know how to approach it wout disturbing it too much. You'll understand how they fly and how to get close to them without disturbing them much. One thing, don't stand directly in front of them, they will usually sense this and fly off. Unless its a cloudy day when you won't cast a shadow much its always best to watch your shadow.

When a butterflies feeding its often a good time to approach them as they are less aware at this time, but do it carefully and you should be able to get a shot of them well.

Your clothing will also affect what a butterfly sees of you, so subdued clothing or a camoflage jacket will help.
Stealth is the name of the game!!

Really? I don't think I have worn things like that much when out, but then again I have not worn florescent colours or bright colours so think that helps.

Also, sometimes you might have to wait for a butterfly to come to the flower to feed, rather than chasing it around. In 2007 I was in a field/boggy area and found some orange-tips. The males usually passed this one paticular cuckoo flower. Instead of chasing the butterflies around (which I did with no results) I put my tripod up and camera up on it, near the flower, had it in focus and eded up with this:



Took a while but got the shot. After you figure how to get close to your subject, its how to focus on it with your camera, which can take a bit of practise. I usually start with flowers and try and focus on them, bit like focusing on a butterfly. Once you have got the hang of getting to get good quality photos of a floer(s) then you can try doing similar with a butterfly, but the only difference, flwers don't move, unless in wind, but butterflies do move, so it might be a little different than focusing on a flower and snapping it, but with enough practise and knowing your camera, you can do it. If your camera can take macro shots, it should be able to take a photo of a butterfly, unless the crtitter is too small (like a micro moth) for the camera. Then this is where DSLRs come in with the prime macro lenses, but as many proved, you can get good as shots with a compact than with a DSLR. My Orange-Tip was taken with a Samsung Digimax L85 compact which I had for 2 years and still use it now even when I have a Canon 400D and Canon 500D DSLRs and lenses

Also if your camera has the MP (Megapixels, usually over 4 or 5) you can get a good crop. Take the Orange-Tip image I got above, too much in background, but with a crop and resize, you can get this:


Oh 55Bloke, the Speckled wood looks as if its feeding on a dead or dying knapweed head and that is a dingy skipper.

[Lee Hurrell]

I usually wear green or brown when out walking out of choice, thinking it would help!

I have to say the easiest shots I've got are when butterfiles are feeding. Sometimes I've tried sneaking up on insects only to give up on a Speckled Wood that was too flighty.

I think it must depend on the insect, some are twitchy, some aren't (bit like people really!) and of course what they are doing. I territorial skipper will fly at almost anything; I saw Silver Spotted chasing away Meadow Browns at the weekend. And I haven't had much luck with Meadow Browns this year, they all seem very twitchy for some reason.

It is nice though when they come to check you out, I've had Large Whites and Commas flying to me to see what was going on this year!

Best,

Lee

[eccles]

Rightly or wrongly, I mostly wear a white shirt when snapping butterflies. Whites will sometimes check me out but butterflies don't seem to be very bothered by it and it acts as a useful diffuse reflector giving a convenient fill-in for backlit shots.

[55bloke]

Some fascinating replies here. And thanks for the confirmation on the Dingy Skipper (never seen one before) and the Knapweed dave.

[55bloke]

As I mentioned above, we spent a couple of weeks in Canada in July, during which I was able to do a bit "bug photography." I was intending to start a separate thread for the photos but, having mentioned it in this one, I may as well just post them here. I will start with the Sulphur Butterfly I talked about- THE most frustratingly difficult butterfly I've ever tried to photograph!! This is the best I could manage.

Almost as frustrating was this, a Common Wood Nymph, which was equally vigilant and spotted my stealthy approach long before I could get a close up.

According to my "Butterfles Of Alberta" field guide, the Pearl Cresents are supposed to be the most common butterflies in the region in July, but this poor shot is of the only one I actually saw.

This shot also represents the only example of a Milbert's Tortoishell I saw.

The field guide also states that Frittilaries don't emerge 'til August, but there were plenty to be seen during our visit. They were a little easier to photograph, but still far from easy.
I THINK this is an Aphrodite

and this

whilst this looks like a different species?

More to follow shortly

[55bloke]

The commonest butterfles, by a LONG way, were various species of skipper
Of the skippers, the Tawney Edged was the least abundant, and the largest

These tiny, metalic looking skippers were frequent visitors to garden flowers. I struggle to seperate the various species of skipper here in the UK, and found it totally impossible over there, I can't tell you what species this is!

Or this one, though the yellow patterning under the wings puts it in a group which the field guide calls yellow-patch skippers- I think!!

Commonest of all were what they call the European Skipper, the same species as our Essex Skipper. Introduced to North America at London, Ontario, in 1910, since when it's spread at about 25km per year, and is becoming an economic pest. I think this is one!

Can't tell which species these two are


Also common were these, which they call Ringlets. Looks like a relative of our Large Heath?

This is a Melissa Blue- puzzlingly I only saw females.


This extremely small species of Blue was also very common

Finally, for the butterflies, is the White Admiral. Not sure if it's the same species we get here. It was very abundandant in the pine woodland, but I thought I was never going to get a good photo as they seem only to land infrequently, briefly, and high up! However, patience eventually paid off!

This one kept returning to the same spot, overlooking a path through the trees. It would take flight, glide up and down the path way for a hundred yards or so in each direction, then return to the same spot. Perfect for photography, though I had to hold the camera as high as I could reach to get the shot.

[55bloke]

Now, some moths. This 1st one is a day flying species we saw commonly in Alberta

All the rest were photographed at a Lodge in The Rockies, in British Columbia, where we spent 4 days. The outside lights were left on all night, and I was astonished by the numbers and variety of moths attracted to them. I haven't even tried to identify them, as I imagine a field guide to the region's moths would be imossible to lift!!






This magnificent Hawk Moth looks like the same, or a very closely related, species as our eyed Hawk.

[eccles]

What a great series! Thanks for sharing them.

[55bloke]

You're very welcome, it's my pleasure! Glad you enjoyed. For those who're interested, here's some of the other "bugs" I photographed!
Whilst we were in B.C., we were constantly aware of a loud, "crick, crick, crick" call coming from the medows. Investigation revealed it to be being made by large, grey grasshoppers, whilst in flight, which also displayed their spectacular, bright yellow hind wings. A bit of Googling suggests they were probably the wonderfully named Crackling Forrest Grasshopper!

The garden was visited by a very unfamilar range of bee species. One of the commonest, and by far the most impressive, were this enormous species!

This seems to be a honey bee, but it collects pollen on the underside of it's abdoman rather that on it's hind legs.

Early one morning, I spotted this heavily laden, and somewhat dew-soaked, fellow.

Out walking one hot afternoon, a very loud buzzing, followed by a distinct "thud," attracted me to this very interesting scene. It looks to be a large, bee-mimic robber-fly, attacking an actual bee or wasp!

[55bloke]

My favourite insects, after butterfles, are dragon flies, and there were vast numbers of them to be seen, in both Alberta and B.C.







That's all folks, hope you like.

[Pete Eeles]

Just a thought - but you could place all of these photos in a personal album (or subalbum) in the galleries. I personally find that easier to view images since the page, as it now stands, takes an age to download

Cheers,

- Pete