Tiger swallowtails on zinnias
These are two of my favorite butterfly images. The light on the top image was magical. It was late afternoon and overcast. I’m previously mentioned how I achieve the dark background, so I won’t repeat that here. Because I exposed for the highlights on the butterfly, the exposure on the zinnias works out well being slightly underexposed with some highlights on the inner petals.
I’ve been practicing trying to capture butterflies as they lift off. There are several in my butterfly gallery. Shooting with a 600mm lens, it’s impossible to get achieve focus on lift off due to the narrow depth of focus and quick movement of the subject. And, I believe the image needs movement. The background highlight adds an element to the story. It reminds me of a resurrection. Maybe I’ll name this one Lazarus.
Both images are available for purchase on various substrates.
