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| A hawker dragonfly captured with a lens you probably wouldn't think of using. Keep reading to find out what lens I used. |
Macro lenses are a great lens for shooting insects, however
when it comes to butterflies and dragonflies there is a better lens out there.
Sure, you can capture great photos of dragonflies and butterflies using a macro
lens and I have had a lot of success with my Canon 100mm f2.8L IS macro lens
shooting these wonderful creatures in the past, but a tele-lens is a far better
lens for dragonfly photography and butterfly photography too.
I am sure you are sitting there reading this yelling “What?”
so before you click away please allow me to explain……….
Dragonflies and butterflies are timid creatures that will
scarper at the slightest movement. Dragonflies and butterflies are fast, they
fly
erratically and when you combine this with their small size it is easy to
see that tracking these creatures with a lens and actually getting a sharp
photo is a real challenge.
Macro lenses typically have a focal length of 65mm – 105mm
(there are other macro lenses out there with a longer reach – such as the Canon
180mm macro) and these focal lengths aren’t enough to be a good way back from
dragonflies and butterflies (so not to spook them) and get a frame filling
shot. The only way to ensure a good working distance, i.e. distance between the
lens and the dragonfly/butterfly being photographed, is to use a long reach zoom
lens.
The lens I use for dragonfly and butterfly photography is
the Canon 100 – 400L IS lens and it is perfect. With its push/pull zoom action
I can zoom in (and pull back) very quickly, and the image stabilisation means I
can use slower shutter speeds as necessary for a correct exposure and still get
a sharp photo. Take a look at my review of the Canon 100 – 400L IS lens here.
With this lens I can stand right back from the dragonfly/butterfly,
get it in frame with the lens pulled back to a wide focal length and then zoom
right in for a frame filling shot. This method doesn’t spook the
dragonfly/butterfly (although you still have to be quick and don’t have time to
drag your heels) and has increased my keeper rate no end. I have to admit that
I am not familiar with Nikon lenses however I am aware there is a Nikon 80mm –
400mm lens and I can only assume this is going to be a great lens for
dragonfly/butterfly photography too.
When I am travelling I take a single lens, a canon 28 – 300L
IS lens, and I have used this to get some great photos of dragonflies and
butterflies on vacation as well. Even though this lens is another top Canon
lens I do prefer the extra reach of the 100 – 400 as I can stand that much
further back.
I know many people like to take extreme close up photos of
dragonflies and butterflies, however I have found this type of photo has
limited appeal. I have used a macro lens and managed to capture some extreme
close up and detailed photos of dragonflies and butterflies (although my hit
rate/keeper rate is very low) however I have never managed to make any money
with these shots. In my experience people just don’t buy close up shots of
parts of dragonflies and butterflies.
Frame filling shots showing the entire dragonfly or
butterfly is a totally different story though. I have sold many photos of
different species of butterfly and dragonfly using my Canon 100 – 400 lens and
pulling back a little to show the entire subject. These photos don’t show the
same level of detail, but they do show a lot of detail and it seems to be the
sort of photos customers want and are willing to pay for, so that’s what I give
them.
The whole process of taking photos of dragonflies and butterflies using a long reach zoom lens is less stressful, less frustrating and more enjoyable as your keeper rate will be so much higher than using a macro lens. So, if you are looking for a lens to take photos of dragonflies and butterflies I would suggest putting the macro lens to one side and opting for long reach tele-lens instead. Give it a go and I guarantee you will not be disappointed with the results.
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| The Canon 100 - 400 is my dragonfly and butterfly photography lens of choice. Buy the Canon 100 - 400 form Amazon.com (US citizens) or buy from Amazon.co.uk (UK citizens) |
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