Butterflies are spectacular creatures. Their beautiful colors and complex designs appeal to every macro and nature photographer. Although butterflies seem to be the perfect subject matter for your photographs, they aren’t easy to photograph. Butterfly photography requires special gear, dedication, and patience.
If you think a picture of a stabbed butterfly will do just fine, you miss the entire point. Butterfly photography is about capturing life. Thus, you should treat your subject matter with respect and care, and it will reward you with good photos. Here is everything you need to know about butterfly photography.
How to Find Subjects for Butterfly Photography
You have to know where and when to look to find butterflies. Search groups and organizations specialize in the conservation and study of butterflies in your area, such as the Butterflies and Moths of North America. They know the species living in your area, their habitat and lifestyle, and the best time to plan a photo trip.
Some butterflies prefer the cold mountainous areas; others live happily in any garden. You can find butterflies that love a particular flower or require a forest with a good supply of willow. As a general rule, you will probably find at least one species of butterflies around blossomed flowers. So it might be a good idea to search in a garden, or near a lavender, or a ripe field.
Most butterflies like a warm environment. Therefore, late spring, summer, and autumn and the best seasons for butterfly photography.
Butterflies aren’t active during the night — the exception being the Hedylidae. They like to get up early in the morning and warm their wings in the first rays of the sun. It gives you the chance to photograph them before they get active or capture them bathing in the sun with their wings wide open. Early mornings improve your chances of capturing interesting butterfly compositions. Not to mention you benefit from the glowing morning light.
As much as you would love to photograph tens of different species on the same trip, you probably won’t. So invest in quality instead of quantity. Enjoy the butterflies you meet and tell their stories in the best possible way.
Composition Techniques for Butterfly Photography
Macro photography is one of the best ways to photograph butterflies. It lets you get very close to them and capture their details and colors. The butterfly will be the star of your composition. The high magnification allows you to capture the tiniest butterfly at its life-size and fill the frame. However, if your subject is very active or skittish, you might want to opt for a telephoto lens, like the Tamron 150-600mm. This will allow you to shoot from a little further away, while still making the butterfly large enough in the frame.
Even when you have a unique subject matter, don’t use the same composition technique repeatedly. For example, the subject doesn’t always have to be in the center of the frame. The rule of thirds applies in butterfly photography as well. Create perspective and allow the subject to breathe by leaving space in front of it.
For more information, check out Top 15 Macro Photography Tips.
The angle of shooting is also important. While many photographers love to photograph a butterfly from above to capture the splendor of its wings, getting to the eye level of your subject creates a more intimate composition. It’s not a photo of an insect anymore. It becomes a portrait. So take time to explore all possible angles and camera positions and come up with the best choice.
The same consideration applies to the background choice. Often you would want to hide a busy background with a shallow depth of field and keep just the subject in focus. Again, macro photography helps you with that.
But sometimes, the environment enhances the story and helps you convey the right message. For example, the background may be an endangered flower critical for the butterfly’s survival. Or it may be a surface that helps you create a good contrast. Or it may add a temporal element. Decide what message you want to convey before deciding how much of the background should be visible in your composition.
Butterflies have interesting shapes and colors that most photographers try to frame the entire insect. You see pictures of butterflies in flight, standing on flowers and leaves, from a side or above. You rarely see pictures that feature just a part of a butterfly, such as its antennas, legs, or hairy body. Expand your portfolio by having a holistic and creative approach.
Butterfly Photography Necessary Gear
Butterflies aren’t patient and manageable models. They are small, move a lot, and don’t really like artificial lighting. You have to get where they are and be prepared to photograph them fast. All this translates into high-end cameras and lenses, a reliable tripod, and a flash designed for macro photography.
Camera
Whether DSLR or mirrorless, a full-frame camera provides better quality in low lighting conditions. It is more expensive and heavier than a crop sensor camera, but it will help you take sharp photos in the early morning light. That’s because you need to freeze the slightest movement of your subject. Otherwise, the photograph will end up blurred.
Freezing motion means using fast shutter speeds and, thus, allowing less light to enter the camera. You can compensate by using a wider aperture, but it will create a narrower depth of field. Alternatively, you can increase ISO. But you risk adding noise to your images. A full-frame sensor gives you a slight advantage in that direction.
For more advice, check out Best Camera Settings for Macro Photography.
Lenses
You will also need a macro lens with a magnification ratio of at least 1:1 and a wide maximum aperture. You can choose between lenses with short or long focal lengths. A short focal length allows you to get closer and creates a deeper depth of field. On the contrary, a long focal length has a longer minimum focus distance and creates a shallow depth of field.
But, butterflies are shy and scared easily. You can’t always get as close as you would want. Therefore, a telephoto lens may be a better choice. Practice is key in finding out what lens you need. Start with a zoom lens that provides a range of focal lengths and see what works for you.
Lighting
A dedicated macro flash, such as a ring flash or twin macro flash with flexible arms, may come in handy. Use a diffuser to soften the light and reduce its intensity. You don’t want to startle the butterfly. You can also use a continuous light source, such as LED lights. They are compact, lightweight, and don’t have the same impact on insects.
If you need additional help, read How to Pick Continuous LED Light for Macro Photography.
Tripod
A tripod is also a must for butterfly photography if choose to wait for your subject to land on a particular flower. It supports the weight of the camera and lens and allows you to focus on composition and prefocus. Choose a tripod that can get very close to the ground and has a good grip on any surface.
If you prefer to follow the butterfly, you need to be fast and adapt to any conditions. Instead of a tripod, opt for a portable setup with a macro lens and macro flash. Alternatively, you can do a telephoto lens with a speed light, and perhaps a flash extender if you need the fast shutter speed of a flash while shooting from a distance.
If you’re interested in shooting butterfly photography using your smartphone, read Moment Wide-Angle Lens and Macro Lens for iPhone: Hands-On Review.
Tips for Good Butterfly Photography
Butterflies are living creatures. You have to befriend the butterfly and get to know them a bit, before just firing shots away. If you don’t put your heart and soul into butterfly photography, having the best technique and gear won’t make any difference.
Also, respect their environment. You are an observer of the natural world. You aren’t there to change the scenery, break grass and flowers to create a better view, or splash things with water to create a more dramatic effect. Nature is beautiful as it is.
All you have to do is get out there and be prepared. Don’t make sudden moves. Sometimes it’s better to find a good spot (remember to do your research on butterflies before going for a photo shoot), prepare a photo setup, and wait. For example, if you are in a garden or blossomed field, it won’t take long until butterflies enter the scene.
It also helps to be flexible. Don’t get stuck on a particular shooting angle or perspective. Be prepared to get out of your comfort zone and use any camera position that works. For example, avoid casting shadows over the butterfly because it will leave for a warmer place. Knowing your subject’s behavior is essential.
Concluding Words
Butterfly photography is neither a chase nor a challenge. It is an art. It is the art of befriending tiny creatures and finding a way to tell their stories. Although you need some Lepidoptera knowledge and photography skills, what you need the most is curiosity, patience, and care. Choose another subject if the subject doesn’t move you, or you don’t find it interesting. If you don’t love to see a butterfly, don’t photograph it. But who doesn’t love butterflies?
