In search of...flying butterflies

[Allen Sparks]

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM +1.4x III
• ƒ/4
• 280mm
• 1/5000s
• ISO 400
• Flash not fired
• Sun, 17 September 2017 8:12 AM
• Digital Photo Professional

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM +1.4x III
• ƒ/4
• 170mm
• 1/5000s
• ISO 400
• Allen Sparks
• Flash not fired
• Sun, 17 September 2017 8:02 AM
• Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 (Windows)

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM +1.4x III
• ƒ/4
• 180mm
• 1/6400s
• ISO 400
• Allen Sparks
• Flash not fired
• Sun, 17 September 2017 7:54 AM
• Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 (Windows)

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM +1.4x III
• ƒ/4
• 222mm
• 1/5000s
• ISO 400
• Allen Sparks
• Flash not fired
• Sat, 16 September 2017 12:20 PM
• Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 (Windows)

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM +1.4x III
• ƒ/4
• 192mm
• 1/5000s
• ISO 400
• Allen Sparks
• Flash not fired
• Sat, 16 September 2017 11:39 AM
• Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 (Windows)

I thought I would post a sequence here on photographing butterflies in flight. I have been trying this for the past week or so and am finding it quite challenging. I have been focusing on a butterfly on a flower giving enough room in the frame for its take off and trying to burst shots as it is flying off its perch. I have been using a Canon 7D2 body, 70-200 f2.8L IS II, and 1.4x TC III. ISO 400. My aperture on all these shots has been f4 and shutter speed has been mainly 1/5000s. Hand held. Just wondering if any other members have experience with this or any ideas on technique, thoughts on these posted images, etc. The trade off on DOF and shutter speed is a challenge but I've opted for the max shutter speed for my preferred ISO to eliminate as much motion blur as possible.

'hope this thread is appropriate for this forum...

 

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Allen!

This sequence is not just appropriate for the forum, it is also STUNNING!!! What beauty! I am loving this:5

Must have been quite a challenge, having the two subjects sharp in focus and no motion blur whatsoever. All I can think of is, maybe you should have experimented with more DoF.

Love the story, frames well exposed, beautiful colours and your PP is great. The BG is magic.

I too tried to photograph butterflies during my Kalahari trips, on a few occasions. This is when I noticed they sometimes fly upside down
The beautiful flowers help balance the frames and add an extra splash of colour - well seen and captured Allen, thank you so much for sharing this:cheers:

Warmest regards,

 

[Alison McCoy]

These are so lovely! The colors are amazing and the stop action on the butterflies is enchanting. What an original idea executed flawlessly.