Butterflies & Conservatories

[Mr Roboto]

It's been a while since the last time I visited a conservatory to photograph butterflies. As they say, life gets in the way sometimes.

In reviewing some of my older images, I vividly remember how much fun it was and how it can be a great learning experience. Now I am especially excited to become a member again at my local conservatory which will be opening its annual butterfly exhibit in a few weeks. Can't wait - especially for snow-bound midwesterners with extreme cases of cabin fever! Looking forward to using the newer mirrorless equipment along with different techniques.

I'll post a few of mine here in chronological order starting with the earliest. Please feel free to post your examples with tips and experiences.


using my typical rig (300mm + extension tubes)


using the 180mm macro - as much as I loved that lens, not having IS really sucked

 

[Mr Roboto]

Captive butterflies allow for close approaches and extreme macros that are otherwise difficult to obtain in the wild.
I used the opportunity to key in on small, specific areas of personal interest.

 

[Mr Roboto]

Experimenting with different compositions

 

[Mr Roboto]

Utilizing adjustments in shooting angles to obtain different backgrounds

 

[Mr Roboto]

Utilizing the colorful blooms that the conservatory offers...

 

[Mr Roboto]

Trying to find the most pleasing angles for specific species.

 

[Skygod44]

Trying to find the most pleasing angles for specific species.
View attachment 201471

Hideta, these are all single exposures, yes?

 

[Mr Roboto]

The most "straight forward" perspective while trying to capture as much DOF/detail as possible

 

[Mr Roboto]

Hideta, these are all single exposures, yes?

Yes, well before focus stacking was ever a thing.
That's one of the things I want to incorporate this time around.

Also these all have been cropped very little, if any.
Thanks for asking!

 

[Mr Roboto]

Again looking for what makes "a good look". Angles, colors, behavior, composition? All of them.

 

[Skygod44]

Yes, well before focus stacking was ever a thing.
Also these all have been cropped very little, if any.
Thanks for asking!

When I was using an EOS 30D (loved that camera ) I used some freeware called ZereneStacker (I think ). Must be about 18 years ago, and it gave great results, but was such a pain in the butt, having to fiddle around with the stack.

In-camera stacking is something I'll be using from Monday, when my OM-3 arrives.

Oh, how things have changed...

Catch you soon,
Simon

 

[Mr Roboto]

Final images of where I left off 15 years ago. Yikes where did all those years go by?!

 

[Mr Roboto]

When I was using an EOS 30D (loved that camera ) I used some freeware called ZereneStacker (I think ). Must be about 18 years ago, and it gave great results, but was such a pain in the butt, having to fiddle around with the stack.

In-camera stacking is something I'll be using from Monday, when my OM-3 arrives.

Oh, how things have changed...

Catch you soon,
Simon

Nowadays I use the focus stacking feature in photoshop whenever possible. I'm not great at it because I don't have a lot of experience with it since I'm usually off chasing wild/animated prey.

But these butterflies will often take "breaks" and lie relatively motionless between feedings so focus stacking will definitely be possible. I hope I'm able to get some good composites.

 

[Skygod44]

Nowadays I use the focus stacking feature in photoshop whenever possible. I'm not great at it because I don't have a lot of experience with it since I'm usually off chasing wild/animated prey.

But these butterflies will often take "breaks" and lie relatively motionless between feedings so focus stacking will definitely be possible. I hope I'm able to get some good composites.

There's a butterfly conservatory at a wonderful flower park and gardens we go to quite often, just an hour south from Kagoshima.
You've inspired me to put another trip there in my diary.

 

[paddler4]

Gorgeous images.

I was going to ask whether you cropped, but you posted that you hadn't cropped much. However, some of these look substantially more than 1:1. The look like what I get with a FF + 1000mm macro + 36 mm extension.

Re the in-camera stacking: I recently got an OM-1 Mark II and will try using in-camera stacking with bugs. So far, I've only used it with that body and a Canon R6 on flowers. I don't let the camera create the composite. I import the stack into Lightroom and then stack using Zerene, which is both faster and much more powerful and flexible than the stacking routine in Photoshop.

 

[Mr Roboto]

Gorgeous images.

I was going to ask whether you cropped, but you posted that you hadn't cropped much. However, some of these look substantially more than 1:1. The look like what I get with a FF + 1000mm macro + 36 mm extension.

Re the in-camera stacking: I recently got an OM-1 Mark II and will try using in-camera stacking with bugs. So far, I've only used it with that body and a Canon R6 on flowers. I don't let the camera create the composite. I import the stack into Lightroom and then stack using Zerene, which is both faster and much more powerful and flexible than the stacking routine in Photoshop.

Thank you.

With the exception of the 2nd image, all were captured on APS-C bodies so they will appear different than using a FF sensor that you're used to.

As for Zerene that you and Simon refer to, I will definitely keep that in mind if I see that I'm not getting the results that I want. Thank you both!

 

[Mr Roboto]

Since I no longer have my trusty 300mm f/4, I'm thinking my first visit will be with the R5 + EF 100-400 v2 with extension tubes and 20+ year old speedlite for fill.

I love longer focal lengths to control my backgrounds. And now having a zoom to control that even further will be a powerful tool.

 

[Mr Roboto]

There's a butterfly conservatory at a wonderful flower park and gardens we go to quite often, just an hour south from Kagoshima.
You've inspired me to put another trip there in my diary.

That's awesome! Take your new "toy" and come back here with great images
Looking forward to it!

 

[paddler4]

Must be about 18 years ago, and it gave great results, but was such a pain in the butt, having to fiddle around with the stack

I don't know what the program was 18 years ago, but I've been using it almost that long, and it's not usually hard to use. It has numerous features that Photoshop doesn't offer, and learning to use them takes some time. However, the default settings often work fine, and I never have to fiddle with the stack. The real benefit is that it has excellent retouching tools that allow you to get rid of a lot of the artifacts that stacking can create. In particular, it has a pretty powerful way of eliminating halos. And you can adjust the parameters of the depth map algorithm if you need to.

It has a Lightroom plugin, which makes it even easier. I select the photos I want to stack in Lightroom and then simply export them to Zerene. The plugin allows me to set how I want the photos exported; I use TIFF prophoto 16 bit. The plugin executes Zerene, creates the needed files for export, and imports them into Zerene. Often selecting "stack all" in Zerene is all that is necessary, but for difficult stacks, there are numerous options to choose from.

 

[Skygod44]

I don't know what the program was 18 years ago, but I've been using it almost that long, and it's not usually hard to use. It has numerous features that Photoshop doesn't offer, and learning to use them takes some time. However, the default settings often work fine, and I never have to fiddle with the stack. The real benefit is that it has excellent retouching tools that allow you to get rid of a lot of the artifacts that stacking can create. In particular, it has a pretty powerful way of eliminating halos. And you can adjust the parameters of the depth map algorithm if you need to.

It has a Lightroom plugin, which makes it even easier. I select the photos I want to stack in Lightroom and then simply export them to Zerene. The plugin allows me to set how I want the photos exported; I use TIFF prophoto 16 bit. The plugin executes Zerene, creates the needed files for export, and imports them into Zerene. Often selecting "stack all" in Zerene is all that is necessary, but for difficult stacks, there are numerous options to choose from.

...you're absolutely right, from the point of view of enjoying using a PC to edit - and I did indeed used to be in this group of photographers.
But these days, unless I'm being paid, I don't/won't spend the time even putting files onto my PC.

That's not taking away the clear "pros" of using full-sized screens and heavier software, but usually for me, the "cons" side of the equation is too large.

Always love your images, btw.