most frustrating thing!!! - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

03/13/2019 05:15:51 PM · #1

Los Angeles is currently being enchanted by billions of Painted Lady butterflies migrating. Everywhere you go, there are tiny flurries of orange. Everyone is stopping to look at the sky and the trees, as these little creatures flutter through our city. It's beautiful.

AND IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PHOTOGRAPH!!!!!!!!

Lydia

Canon EOS-6D

03/13/2019 05:26:24 PM · #2

Ha! I'm sorry to laugh...

Use your cellphone. :D

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

03/13/2019 05:57:42 PM · #3

Originally posted by Lydia:

Ha! I'm sorry to laugh...

Use your cellphone. :D

I tried that as well. It's not a big cloud. It's just a butterfly or two flying by every so often, and a burst of 5 then nothing. And those little suckers are FAST so, it's not like you can just grab your phone/camera.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

03/13/2019 05:57:58 PM · #4

I don't know about photographing swarms, but for close-ups find a butterfly bush ...

Olympus 17mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko

03/13/2019 06:14:47 PM · #5

Originally posted by GeneralE:

I don't know about photographing swarms, but for close-ups find a butterfly bush ...

I'm just enjoying them fluttering all over the place :)

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70 f2.8 L IS

03/13/2019 06:46:36 PM · #6

How wonderful! I remember a summer in the late 1960s when we had a similar experience here with huge numbers of monarchs. It was amazing.

PennyStreet

Olympus OM-D E-M1

03/13/2019 07:04:31 PM · #7

When the cicadas came... same thing.... they were everywhere but you couldn�t photograph them.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

03/13/2019 07:49:40 PM · #8

Originally posted by kirbic:

How wonderful! I remember a summer in the late 1960s when we had a similar experience here with huge numbers of monarchs. It was amazing.

With the monarchs at least 3x larger, at least they were more visible!!

I keep going to the window and watching them flutter by. I'm totally smitten.

flaherma

Nikon D800

03/13/2019 08:03:09 PM · #9

you're so lucky! the only thing fluttering by my windows lately is more snowflakes lol

vawendy

Sony Alpha 1

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

03/13/2019 08:26:21 PM · #10

sorry --- now's the time for video!

Melethia

Canon EOS-80D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

03/13/2019 09:28:43 PM · #11

Johanna is right. It was one of those things you just had to stop and enjoy. There was no good way to convey it by photograph or video. A pair there, a single here, five or six next, a bunch now and then, and they were in such a hurry! Just flitting right on by. I saw one or two stop, very briefly, but that's it. They were quite focused on their mission!! It was very enjoyable to experience.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

03/13/2019 09:37:27 PM · #12

Originally posted by kirbic:

How wonderful! I remember a summer in the late 1960s when we had a similar experience here with huge numbers of monarchs. It was amazing.

I lived in Pacific Grove/Monterey when I was in the second grade, so I must have seen the monarchs there (my dad was a science teacher), but unfortunately I have no photos or specific memory of it. :-(

skewsme

Canon EOS-6D

Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens

03/13/2019 10:10:25 PM · #13

I kinda like the challenge of capturing butterflies and even cicadas (and praying mantis) in flight, but a real toughie I experienced last summer was a crazy swarm of midges and the crazy swarm of dragonflies that ensued to eat 'em up. So hard to capture the magnitude and depth of the feeding frenzy. Awesome experience though.

03/14/2019 12:23:28 AM · #14

Originally posted by skewsme:

SUPERB!!!!

Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro

03/14/2019 12:40:49 AM · #15

Originally posted by vawendy:

sorry --- now's the time for video!

Best I could do. There was actually something for YOU at the VERY ~~end, but think FB clipped the end :(~~ beginning.
https://www.facebook.com/Johanna.Siegmann/videos/10215881978817116/?sk=h_chr

Message edited by author 2019-03-14 00:42:16.

GeorgesBogaert

Canon RP

03/14/2019 03:30:55 AM · #16

Here in Taiwan we have fireflies season right now. It's really difficult to take this in a picture to represent how amazing it looks in real. Went many times but never got great results. some photographers are setting their equipment long before it gets dark. once it gets dark, it's nearly impossible to focus.