On Fairytale Wings – A Celebration of Butterflies with the Tamron 90mm F/2.8 lens

Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

For almost 20 years, Jardin Hamel of Quebec City has organized a month dedicated to butterflies (on now, until April 2, 2018). In total, 7000 butterflies in free flight amaze visitors in a 6000-square-foot tropical setting.

The exhibition brings together 70 varieties of exotic butterflies, making it the most impressive collection of its kind in eastern Quebec. I took advantage of this opportunity to capture a few photos of these magnificent creatures.

Gynandromorph butterfly

Where do the butterflies come from?

All of the butterflies in this very special exhibition come from two sustainable farms in Costa Rica. These cooperative farms follow the principles of fair trade with their employees. The first butterfly of each species was captured in the wild, but subsequent generations were raised in the greenhouse.

Each species is transported to Jardin Hamel in the pupa stage. The pupae are placed on trays stored in a controlled temperature and humidity box.

Butterflies are very beautiful insects with several thousand species found around the world, so the photographic opportunities at butterfly conservatories are virtually limitless. When you encounter butterflies in a natural setting, you can see why their beauty has inspired the great designers to emulate the delicate and striking colours and designs of Mother Nature’s fairy wings.

The best time to photograph butterflies is in the morning when the dew is still on the foliage. Butterflies will awake and begin drying and warming their wings by spreading them out atop a flower. During this time, they tend to be relatively immobile, which will allow you to have more time to be more creative with your composition. Another good time to photograph the insects is at the end of the day, when they find a suitable place to spend the night.

The Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro lens is the ideal choice for successful butterfly photos. Long enough to give you a comfortable camera to subject working distance and powerful enough to fill the frame with a full wingspan or a close-up view of the delicate wing details, this lens is famous for its exquisite detail and colour rendition characteristics.

I used a Vanguard Alta Pro 2 + 264CT tripod to support my camera, giving me the stability to use slower speeds and smaller apertures – in some cases f/32, and even f/40 to maximize the depth of field.

Owl Butterfly

Important tips for Butterfly photography:

• Spotting butterflies – take a few minutes to observe the most visited flowers, set up your gear, and be patient!
• Analyze the direction of the light to properly illuminate the butterfly and avoid unnecessary shadows.
• Using a wide aperture of f/2.8 to f/5.6 will render the background out-of-focus, visually highlighting the butterfly.
• If you want maximum sharpness, choose a small aperture like f/16 to f/32 and adjust your ISO to permit shooting at 1/125 second or faster. In this case, the use of the tripod is highly recommended.
• Think about getting closer to your subject to capture the details – move slowly and the butterfly may allow you to approach – move abruptly and the butterfly with flutter by…
• Be creative with your camera and lighting angles.

Butterfly Gandoca Manzanillo

Using your camera in manual mode gives you complete control, but for faster reactions to these fleeting photo opportunities, I recommend using aperture priority, allowing you to focus on the desired effect (blurred background, moderately sharp or very sharp) and the camera meter will set the shutter speed. The smaller the aperture f/22, f/32… the longer the shutter speed, so make sure you hold the camera very stable to avoid camera shake. Use a tripod or a monopod when shooting at speeds slower than 1/125 second – this will greatly help you achieve a sharp image.

Owl Butterfly

Observe the environment, the orientation of the light, and the background – shoot a range of exposures at a variety of aperture settings to capture a selection of images that range from gently blurred backgrounds to crisp details across the frame.

Myscelia Cyaniris

Where to find butterflies:

Jardin Hamel

6029, Boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel
L’Ancienne-Lorette (Québec) G2E 2H3
418-872-9719
http://jardinhamel.com/promotions-et-activites/evenements/papillons-en-fete

Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory

2500 Kossuth Road
Cambridge, Ontario
N3H 4R7
519-653-1234
http://www.cambridgebutterfly.com

Niagara Parks Commission

2565 Niagara Parkway,
Niagara Falls, ON L0S 1J0
(905) 358-0025
https://www.niagaraparks.com/visit/attractions/butterfly-conservatory/

Blue Willow Garden & Landscape Design Centre

23834 Highway #48 (north of Ravenshoe Road)
Baldwin (Georgina), ON
L0E 1A0
Tel: 905-722-5849
http://bluewillowgarden.com/introduction.html

Victoria Butterfly Gardens

1461 Benvenuto Avenue
Brentwood Bay, BC
V8M 1R3
Toll-Free +1.877.722.0272
General 250.652.3822
https://www.butterflygardens.com/

Canadian Museum of Nature

240 McLeod Street
Ottawa (Ontario)
K2P 2R1
Tel: 613.566.4700
Toll Free: 1.800.263.4433
https://nature.ca/en/plan-your-visit/what-see-do/our-exhibitions/butterflies-flight

Calgary Zoo, Botanical Garden & Prehistoric Park

210 St. George’s Drive. NE
Calgary, AB
Toll Free: 1-800-588-9993
(403) 232-9300
https://www.calgaryzoo.com/butterflies-emerging-daily

Assiniboine Park Zoo

2595 Roblin Boulevard
Winnipeg, MB
R3P 2N7
204-927-6000
https://www.assiniboinepark.ca/zoo/home/explore/exhibits/shirley-richardson-butterfly-garden

The Butterfly House Rules & Requests 

841 New Glasgow Road
New Glasgow, PE
C0A 1N0
902-964-4300
800-565-5267
https://preservecompany.com/pages/butterfly-house-hours-and-price

---

By Jacques Dumont