Apartment Garden Blues (Blog): 5 Techniques for Great Butterfly Photos
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- Published on Friday, March 22 2013 20:13
- Written by Alexandra Martin
I love butterflies. Who doesn’t? But one thing about them really bugs me. You have to really work hard to get good pictures of them. Plants are easy to get a picture of. Go outside when they’re blooming and lighting is good. Then snap a picture! But butterflies move around, and that makes them difficult to photograph. Here are five techniques for getting that perfect butterfly picture, even with a regular digital camera.
1. Go to a place with lots of butterflies. Larger public gardens are easier for this, rather than your small garden with just a few flowers. Butterflies are migratory, so look up when they’ll be in your area.
2. Photograph during a cooler time of day (morning or evening). Butterflies are more active when it’s warm, and their favorite temperature is 82 degrees.
3. Once you spot a butterfly that has landed on a flower, approach slowly and wait for the butterfly to settle and hold still. Don’t cast a shadow over your butterfly subject, or it will fly away.
4. To get the sharpest image possible, take a picture parallel to the butterfly’s wings.
5. Be patient! Take your time, and you’re sure to get at least one great picture.
Read about plants that will attract butterflies to your garden>>
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Alexandra is a professional writer from Southern California who grows vegetables, herbs, lots of aloe vera and one giant Boston fern in her balcony garden. She also grows dracaena, pothos and English ivy indoors. She loves traveling and birdwatching in addition to gardening.
