Alex
I think the reason that photography seems to have such a disproportionately high incidence of interest on this site is due to a number of factors.
1/ As Peter mentioned, for a while photography was an important factor in the evolution of the site with demand for photos for the web pages, and the regular competitions sustaining the sites growth.
2/ I have met very few butterfly enthusiasts who don't photograph butterflies. Very few birders take photographs due to the spookiness and inaccessibility of the quarry, but butterflies are generally much more confiding.
However, once you start photographing butterflies the joint problems of the smallness of the subject and it's flightiness set you off on a wonderful pursuit of both new techniques and kit to help solve the problems.
3/ Butterflies are wonderfully photogenic.
Your other two posts received lots of views, but few replies because they were not contentious.
Butterfly collecting is BAD thing.
Habitat destruction is a BAD thing.
Once someone has replied stating this, there is not much to add.
Ask someone what lens or camera to buy and we all have different opinions (some very firmly held!
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
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I would also agree with Mike and Pete that the time of year is pretty relevant.
Not a lot to say during the winter, except that my hibernating peacock in the shed is still doing fine.
This is the finest butterfly site on the web. A tremendous amount of authoritive information and very easy and logical navigation.
I first found this site whilst trawling the web for good butterfly locations, and ended up making some really good friends.
Interestingly, (but without trawling back through the archives to check), I would guess that we have had as many posts regarding technique, composition, field craft and other “non-kit” photographic topics as we have on kit.
Stick around and have fun.
Roger
p.s. Love your Avatar - Hamearis is my favourite butterfly - it has a pugnacious, confident and endearing character.