When you read this tutorial peak butterfly season will be coming to an end, so we thought we'd help you make the most of the last few weeks by showing you how to capture vibrant close-up images of Britain's most magnificent insects. And of course, these skills are entirely transferable, so you can use them to photograph all manner of minibeasts throughout the rest of the year, too.
Lenses are an essential consideration when shooting close-ups. You'll need a true 1:1 macro lens like our 90mm f/2.8 to make your subject dominate the frame, but you can capture gorgeous close-up images of insects with telephoto lenses such as a 70-200mm f/2.8 or even a close-focusing kit lens like the Nikon AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II. If you're thinking of buying a macro lens but have a strict budget, don't discount a manual-focus only lens, either.
We photographed our silver-studded blue in a garden using manual focus throughout. Here's how to make sure that your close-ups as beautiful as a butterfly.
1 Tripod vs handheld
You can choose to capture close-ups of insects using a tripod or handheld. Tripods are more effective in the early morning or late evening, when butterflies are roosting and are much more likely to remain still. Shooting at this time will also afford you the best light. Our image was captured mid-morning, in overcast light, when the butterfly was busy feeding. For that reason, we chose to shoot handheld, so we could quickly reframe when the insect moved. Handheld shooting is also useful if a strong breeze keeps moving the insect's perch.
2 Manual focus
This story is from the October 2023 edition of N-Photo: the Nikon magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2023 edition of N-Photo: the Nikon magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Quack shot
A rain-soaked Robert May proves you don't have to head out searching for elusive birds of prey to capture stunning shots of birds in flight
Kim Grant
Scottish landscape photographer Kim Grant prefers chasing more intricate - even abstract - images and tells Keith Wilson why she eschews the large, wide views of well-known locations
Heal the noise
Find out from James Paterson which are the best noise reduction tools in Photoshop
Clone in a crowd
Make multiple clones and master essential layer masking skills in Affinity Photo with James Paterson
Full of hot air
Mike Harris photographs Bristol Balloon Fiesta from Clifton Observatory so he can frame the city’s famed suspension bridge
Flutter speed
Mike Harris shows you how to capture beautiful butterfly close-ups without a tripod
Take-off sequence
Nigel A Ball uses Pre-Release Capture mode and fast burst speeds to shoot butterflies on the wing
The perfect gift
My 30th birthday marks more than a decade as a pro- and all I want is a cracking moment with nature at a stunning location holding my camera
20 top tips for...Autumn landscapes
Mark Bauer gives some expert advice to help you capture the vibrant colours of the landscape during the most photogenic season of the year
A game of tones
Our apprentice meets a vintage diver and channels the House of the Dragon with pro Paul David Smith