Photographing captive butterflies can be a very different experience when compared to photographing their counterparts in the wild. Since captive butterflies are usually acclimatized to people we can get much closer to them. This can also lead to them being more comfortable staying in a specific perched position for longer durations of time.
Category Archives: Insect Photography
Jumping Spider in Mid-Air
This article features some images of a jumping spider in mid-air, captured handheld in my backyard using Pro Capture H. The photographs are the result of a quick, spur-of-the-moment attempt… so they aren’t the best… but there was some good learning to be gained from this experience. The photographs that follow are six consecutive images taken with the same Pro Capture H run.
Macro Treasures
Often we can find macro treasures to photograph while exploring the flower beds in the yards around our own homes. This article features a selection of images captured using handheld in-camera focus stacking in combination with the M.Zuiko 90 mm f/3.5 PRO IS Macro lens and M.Zuiko MC-14 teleconverter.
HHFS Butterfly Images
In preparation for the upcoming spring/summer outdoor macro photography season, I recently got in some practice with HHFS (handheld focus stacked) butterfly images at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory.
Monarchs in Flight Test with 150-600
This article features some monarchs in flight test images captured handheld with the M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS zoom. All of the photographs were captured in my backyard at distances that varied from 3.7 to 8.4 metres (~12.1 to 27.6 feet).
HHFS at the RBG
This article shares a selection of new images captured using handheld in-camera focus stacking HHFS at the RBG (Royal Botanical Gardens) in Burlington Ontario.
Whenever we go out with our cameras to photograph nature there is a risk that our planned subject matter may not appear. Or, that our anticipated shooting conditions may change. So, some flexibility can come in handy.
Small Critters with M.Zuiko 150-600
This article shares a selection of photographs of small critters that were captured handheld with the M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS zoom lens. This lens is not one that many folks would immediately think of using to photograph bees, wasps and other small critters… but it can be an effective choice.
All of the images featured in this article were captured during a short 1.5 hour visit to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington Ontario.
HHFS Images Using 12-100 f/4 PRO
This short article features some sample HHFS (handheld focus stacked) images using the M.Zuiko 12-100 f/4 PRO IS zoom lens… captured at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory. These photographs demonstrate the old adage that the ‘best camera’ is the one that you have with you.
Personal Experimentation
The opportunity for ongoing personal experimentation is one of the things that I’ve come to love about digital photography. I did a quick scan through some YouTube video titles after doing a search for ‘photography techniques’. I was not surprised to find numerous videos trying to disseminate ‘must do’ advice.
When I dug a little deeper by searching ‘macro photography techniques’… the videos seemed to become even more dogmatic about following specific techniques at the exclusion of all others.
90 mm vs 60 mm Macro Comparison
This 90 mm vs 60 mm macro comparison article provides my assessments of these two lenses based on my in-field experiences using the M.Zuiko 90 mm f/3.5 PRO IS and M.Zuiko 60 mm f/2.8 macro lenses.