Monarch migration is approaching, which makes this a great time to practice your butterfly photography.

And you don’t need a macro lens. A telephoto zoom like a 55–250mm can work beautifully. Find a patch of flowers, pick a good spot, and wait instead of chasing the butterflies. They often circle back to the same flowers.

Use continuous autofocus.
Butterflies and flowers are almost always moving.

Choose a single AF point or small AF area and place it on the butterfly rather than letting the camera choose what to focus on.

Watch your aperture.
For small butterflies, try a wider aperture (smaller f-number). For larger butterflies like monarchs, try f/8 for more depth of field. If you are not sure, use f/8 Whenever possible, position yourself so the wings are roughly parallel to your camera.

Keep your shutter speed up.
Aim for around 1/500 sec for perched butterflies. A little movement from the butterfly—or the flower it's sitting on—can ruin an otherwise great shot.

Finally, use continuous shooting and take short bursts. Three or four frames can make the difference between an almost-sharp photo and a keeper. TIP: Don’t rely on a single shot. A short burst gives you a better chance to land a sharp photo of the butterfly and the flower.

Don’t wait for the perfect butterfly. Practice on the skippers and other butterflies visiting flowers now. Get comfortable finding your focus point, tracking the butterfly, and shooting a short burst.

Then when a monarch lands in front of you, you’ll be ready.

Getting better one photo at a time.

Hit reply and send me one of your butterfly photos—I’d love to see it.

Getting better One Photo at a Time,
Doug

Email me: [email protected]