Take-off sequence

Nigel A Ball uses Pre-Release Capture mode and fast burst speeds to shoot butterflies on the wing

- Nigel A Ball

Ever since I was a boy, I've been fascinated by the winged creatures of summer. The release of the Nikon Z 8 afforded me a real chance of capturing our native butterflies in flight. In this tutorial, I'd like to share with you the settings I've carefully honed following the release of the D850's spiritual successor. I'm sure these will be refined further as software upgrades arrive and my technique improves, but my hope is to inspire you to get out there and have a go yourself. It's important to note that for every successful sequence, many hundreds of images end up in the delete pile. The Z 8's high frame rate has also given me the opportunity to photograph the intriguing world of butterfly courtship dances and you'll find several of the techniques listed here, entirely transferable to other forms of insect macro photography.

Expert Tip

Butterflies are very sensitive to changes in light. When approaching your subject, try to keep your silhouette below the horizon - never position your body between the butterfly and the sun. Move in slowly, with no sudden movements, for the best chance of framing the shot.