“You lift your head, you’re on your way, but really just to be walking, to be out of doors. That’s it, that’s all, and you’re there. Outdoors is our element: the exact sensation of living there.”
― Frédéric Gros

By far the most common of local meadow butterflies are skippers. Once you spot one, you suddenly see dozens. The name skipper is so appropriate too, as they move quickly from flower to flower. They do sit still long enough to snap a photo or two, then they are on the move again.

Like I said, once you see one it seems the meadow is filled with them. If I stand and carefully observe, there are time where a single plant may have two or three on it at any given time. I’m not sure of the precise species and have not done an exhaustive study of them. They have become a fallback when the dragonflies are too active.

As in previous shots, this is my first foray into outdoor macro photography of insects and I have to say it’s a lot of fun, yet has its own challenges. When I photograph butterflies with my 70-300 zoom, I don’t have to be overly close and depth of field is not such an issue. With the macro, I have to move close and hopefully, not disturb by subject. I’m sure other insect photographers are smiling at this point. It’s not as easy as it seems, but I’m learning and loving every minute of it, especially when processing the images and noticing all the fine details.

Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/400 sec, f/11 ISO 400

for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com