Teach me!

[desong]

Hello everyone! My first post here, hope this works...

I'm hoping you guys & gals can help - one of my (photographic) goals this year, is to take some half decent photographs of native species.

Books and magazines suggest going out early evening/morning when they are resting. But for the life of me, I just can't seem to spot them until they take flight!:(

So any tips will be greatly appreciated. Also, are ther any particular hot-spots in Leicestershire & Notts that I should be visiting?

Meanwhile, couple of tropical species I took a month back when visiting SE Asia.

[Chris]

Where to start??? Rather than offering a comprehensive guide to photographing butterflies (I'm really not nearly qualified enough!), I'll offer you one tip and assume that other forum goers will do the same.

Firstly, if you go out now, there are much fewer butterflies about than there will be in the summer, so don't be dismayed! A good butterfly to practise on is the Orange-Tip, which emerges everywhere, from about mid-April onwards, so there's bound to be a good site near you and you won't have to wait long!

The orange-tip is a very difficult butterfly to photograph when the sun is out and is therefore typical of most of our butterflies! However, it is a lot more accomodating at dawn and dusk when the condidtions mean that it settles down on a stem and doesn't move. So how do you find them??

Instead of losing sleep, go out on a mild, cloudy day, when the sun breaks through for short periods followed by long cloudy spells (this happens a lot!!). The sunny spells are enough to bring out the bloody minded males in their pursuit of females, but when the sun goes behind a cloud, they drop to the earth again and perch on a stem. If you've been watching one closely, you'll soon find him and you can start to snap away!

Good luck.

(as if to prove that it works, here is a pic taken by this method)

[desong]

Thanks Chris, appreciate it. That is a lovely butterfly. I shall try and look for it this Easter break.

This chap was in my garden this evening. Shame about the lighting and background...

[Pete Eeles]

Books and magazines suggest going out early evening/morning when they are resting.

I've read a lot of things like this too - and probably greatly appeals to those using a tripod! On that note - I think there are (at least!) 2 camps: those using a tripod and those not.

The main advantage of using a tripod is the abilty to use slower shutter speeds, and therefore smaller aperture, and therefore greater depth-of-field (so more of the subject is in focus). The disadvantage is that tripods are generally quite cumbersome and can take time to set up (which is a problem with butterflies which fly off at the most inconvenient moment!).

Personally, I only use a tripod for either "studio" (indoor) work with immature stages or captive-bred individuals. I have trouble getting up at 4am in mid-summer to see roosting individuals!

So ... most of the time I work without a tripod, and have refined my settings over the years to give me reasonable shots "in the field". But it does take a lot of experimenting and practice.

Last year, my default settings (on a digital SLR) were ISO 200, 2 stops underexposed, shutter priority, 1/250s.

This year the default will be aperture priority, ISO 200, f16 aperture.

But I'll also be carrying a trip on the off-chance that I find a suitably-inactive critter

Cheers,

- Pete

[JKT]

Interesting settings. I'm usually using ISO 400, 1/320 s & f/11. I use manual as the background and butterfly darkness can vary, but the direct sunlight is relatively constant. Naturally some tweaking is required based on conditions, but those are a starting point. If it gets cloudy, I'm in trouble with 180 mm lens and no tripod.

[desong]

I have trouble getting up at 4am in mid-summer to see roosting individuals!

I'm with you on that Pete Although I've been up at near 6am to shoot dragon & damselflies with reasonable success. No pain, no gain

Because I use the Nikon D50, I have no choice but to use ISO200 anyway. In terms of DOF, I'm learning to overcome this by using an off camera flash with a sync cord. This also relieves me (most of the time) from needing to use a pod. The results are a hit & miss at the moment as I'm still very much learning how to light properly.

Ultimately though, I agree with you that natural light is best. However, harsh shadows under bright sunshine doesn't quite work for me. The other downside is that I find the butterflies are also more active in the heat.

[Chris]

I'm an ardent supporter of the tripod, but will concede that it isn't often possible to use. In fact, I spend so much time trying to manipulate the damn thing that quite often the insect has flown by the time I have framed it, or more usually, the cumbersome thing catches on a branch that the insect was perching on and caterpults it into the sky!

For that reason, if I'm after "record shots", I never use one. But if I want pictures I'd be happy to put on my walls, I use a tripod. Take the two pictures below as a case study; neither of them are gonna win any prizes and they've been cropped to show the detail without having to resize the files and lose detail. However one was taken hand held at f8 at 1/250 and the other at f8 at 1/100.

So which one was taken with a tripod?





You guessed it. It's the one at a slower shutter speed that reveals all those beautiful hairs! (the bottom one!) That's right; despite the slower shutter speed, I've still recorded more detail. Quite often it isn't the subject that's moving, it's you!

Now I know that it probably isn't a fair comparison (different species, different days/conditions, etc), but it illustrates perfectly what a tripod gives you: crisp sharpness.

Cheers, Chris

[Pete Eeles]

Excellent post Chris! I really must try my tripod more often!

On that note - what tripod do you (or anyone else reading this thread) use? I've heard that Benbo tripods are pretty popular - but I'd be interested in knowing what model (and head) you use.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Chris]

Thanks Pete!

I use a Manfrotto 055Pro tripod, which is very robust, very easy to adjust and can get right down to the ground (using the removable centre column). It can also reach as high as eye level (for me, at 6' 2", thats quite good!). However, my big nit with it is the weight!! At 2.4Kg [just over 5lbs in old money ], you can certainly feel it after a day!!

I use a Manfrotto 322RC2 head, which is simply fantastic! I urge you to try one. Basically, it is a quick release ball head. You squeeze the trigger, position the shot and let go of the trigger. No twisting or tightening knobs. No adjusting x-axis, then y-axis. Just one easy movement, and it's unbelievably strong!! There is no travel* in the head whatsoever with my 300D and 150mm lens.

*technical term (get me!) which means that where you point it is where it stays, it doesn't move under the weight of the lens after framing.

Finally, you can buy a low angle adaptor (Manfrotto 055LAA) for £12 which make the whole process easier when you're near the ground.

I don't know whether any other manufacturers offer anything similar to the 322RC2 head, which is why I went Manfrotto. It is such a good piece of kit for working in the field, I will always use a head like this and therefore will always buy Manfrotto.

Cheers, Chris

[PS: If anybody from Manfrotto reads this, please can you take note of my great review and send me a Carbon Fibre tripod as reward!]

[PPS: I wonder whether the next generation Macro lenses from Canon will come with Image Stabilisation? Wouldn't that be good!]

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks Chris.

I use a Manfrotto 190CL tripod with a Manfrotto 390 RC2 Junior Head. It's a pretty good combination for most things and I've just spent the last hour playing around with it seeing how versatile it is. I have to say, it's a lot more flexible that I'd imagined and, with my Sigma 105mm macro lens, can get more than close enough to the ground if needs be (such as today, when I was photographing Marsh Fritillary larvae!).

So - next step is a field test. The head certainly isn't anywhere nearly as flexible as the 322RC2, but I'll see how it goes.

Watch this space!

Cheers,

- Pete

[desong]

Thanks for the pod tips Chris, appreciate it. I do lug a monopod with me wherever I go (when I have my camera with me as well of course!). I find tripod trickier to use like you said due to the more 'complex' set up. I find with the mono, you can move easily and with a flash, achieve higher shutter speed to minimise blur.

For me, I find wind to be a bigger problem re motion blur. You can have a solid tri/mono-pod set up, but if the perched plant keeps swaying side to side, you won't get a crisp shot. But agreed, pod is definately better than no pod. For those shooting Nikon, there is a 100mm VR (Vibration Reduction) macro, but costs £££.

However, I'm still stuck with the fact that I can't seem to spot them. Until then, pods are of no help....

[Dave McCormick]

I got a Star 61 tripod and its a bit tricky to use and carry, but it does go to 153cm tall. I think I need a new one.

[JKT]

For me, I find wind to be a bigger problem re motion blur. You can have a solid tri/mono-pod set up, but if the perched plant keeps swaying side to side, you won't get a crisp shot.

Tell me about it! The stem was almost a meter long and it was quite windy. The solution: Staying on my knees for half an hour and snapping pictures when the focus seemed to be about right. Usually it was not and neither were the pair fully in the picture.

[Chris]

Superb picture JKT. You don't mention whether you used a tripod or not, but I'm guessing that noone is strong enough to hold a camera in front of them for an hour!! Another advantage, you see, with an outstanding picture to back it up!

[JKT]

Thanks!

No tripod. I don't carry one around and in this case it would have been just about impossible to get a camera pointing where the pair happened to be. The Tamron 180 is pretty light, but my arms were indeed quite tired in the end - but not near as tired as my legs.

[desong]

Lovely shot!!! More please...

[Dave McCormick]

Tell me about it! The stem was almost a meter long and it was quite windy. The solution: Staying on my knees for half an hour and snapping pictures when the focus seemed to be about right.

I have same problem too. My solution in good light is to put exposure as low as possible e.g. 1/2000 sec or lower and image stabilisation ON and hope for best. If that does I try to cover the wind if possible to stop things blowing about without butterflies flying off. I end up taking many pics to get the one I want.

[JKT]

Lovely shot!!! More please...

Check my post at the "Links"... Unfortunately there are not many, if any, to match that one.

I have same problem too. My solution in good light is to put exposure as low as possible e.g. 1/2000 sec or lower and image stabilisation ON and hope for best. If that does I try to cover the wind if possible to stop things blowing about without butterflies flying off. I end up taking many pics to get the one I want.

Your definition of good light must be different from mine. The natural sunlight rarely allows for less than 1/320 with small enough aperture and reasonable ISO.

That pair was so intent on what they were doing that I also tried to hold the stem with one hand ... unfortunately that left only one hand for managing the camera. I took about 50 pictures altogether and kept three.

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks to this thread - I went out today and tried my tripod out. I have to say that I think I'm converted! Although it's a lot trickier than hand-held, the results are definitely "above the norm"! Some samples attached.

Cheers,

- Pete

Canon 30D
Sigma 105mm macro lens
1/250s
f/13
ISO 200
No flash


Canon 30D
Sigma 105mm macro lens
1/50s
f/16
ISO 200
No flash


Canon 30D
Sigma 105mm macro lens
1/50s
f/13
ISO 200
No flash

[lurkalot]

Some very nice shots there guys, thanks for sharing them.

Would be nice to see some EXIF info with the photo's, especially helpful when learning.