Macro Tiger Swallowtail Portrait

Tiger Swallowtail Portrait · **3 Likes**

There are very few butterflies where I am this year. Every summer I compete with the ants to collect their dead along the roads and highways near where I live, to make photos like this. It's my third year doing it, and compared to the last two years butterfly populations have plummeted with most species affected. I was lucky enough to find three tiger swallowtails over multiple hikes, and this is one of their faces. If you look closely you can just see the opposing eye through the opening formed by the coiled proboscis. This is a focus stacked composite of 156 exposures. I really don't care about technical perfection when I make these, because this is the kind of photography I truly love doing. It's the process. I highly recommend microscopes and focus stacking as an extension of our macro photography hobbies.

If you enjoy this, there is a lot more from last year on my website. It's a non-commercial site, at least for the foreseeable future.

**MikeNArk** · 07-11-2021, 07:10 PM

That is incredible fine detail. I commend you for the effort that you put into this work. This is excellent.

Philoslothical · 07-11-2021, 07:35 PM

Thanks! I'm just trying to get back into the swing of it again for this year. I have a K-3 incoming that should make it more exciting than usual for me, too. Manual stacking is time consuming but it's great fun.

**Fdooch** · 07-12-2021, 02:25 AM

Do you have a machine that increases the butterfly or reduces you?

archaeodude · 07-12-2021, 04:56 AM

It's clear that you put a lot of work into your photography! Thanks for sharing!

Philoslothical · 07-12-2021, 09:38 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Fdooch

Do you have a machine that increases the butterfly or reduces you?

In a sense, the microscope does increase the butterfly. Sometimes I feel a little bit reduced by the experience. So, yes?

Originally posted by archaeodude

It's clear that you put a lot of work into your photography! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you both for commenting. I find the enjoyment I derive from doing this kind of photography to be therapeutic so I try to spend a good amount of time engaging in it.

Bertrand3000 · 07-12-2021, 10:23 AM

Impressive shot!

**K2 to K50** · 07-13-2021, 12:12 AM

Astounding! Both the amount of care and work it took, and the result.

**swip** · 07-13-2021, 08:36 AM

Amazing shot with so much details. Thanks for sharing.

5ks · 07-13-2021, 09:19 AM

Hard to believe such a photo is possible to make. But there it is, and - I feel speechless. You really earn lots of respect of your skills!

Philoslothical · 07-13-2021, 09:55 AM

Originally posted by Bertrand3000

Impressive shot!

Originally posted by K2 to K50

Astounding! Both the amount of care and work it took, and the result.

Originally posted by swip

Amazing shot with so much details. Thanks for sharing.

Originally posted by 5ks

Hard to believe such a photo is possible to make. But there it is, and - I feel speechless. You really earn lots of respect of your skills!

Thank you all for the nice comments. I'm not used to the generous feedback, I don't post very often.

5ks, if you (or anybody else here) is interested in getting into this stuff, I started a thread here last year. The way I do things has evolved a bit since then, but I'm happy to discuss it. I love to spread the interest. I'm no expert but I enjoy it a lot.

Here's one more of the scales of the same butterfly pictured above. They're small wing scales on the underside of the wing, fairly close to the body. I used 360 exposures in this one, and my compound microscope rather than my continuous zoom (which is better for lower magnification stuff like the "portrait"). These two stacks are among my first attempts at using strobes for lighting, rather than continuous light, so I'm still experimenting and figuring out what works. I have some new gear incoming, too, which should help quite a lot.

**phx.david** · 07-13-2021, 11:54 AM

This is one of the things I love about this forum. I don't have anywhere near the patience or skill for this type of photography but I love seeing it and it amazes me. Excellent work.

Bertrand3000 · 07-13-2021, 01:36 PM

I had no idea butterfly actually had scales. You learn something everyday. Thanks for sharing this new picture./

**K2 to K50** · 07-13-2021, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by Philoslothical

Thank you all for the nice comments. I'm not used to the generous feedback, I don't post very often.

5ks, if you (or anybody else here) is interested in getting into this stuff, I started a thread here last year. The way I do things has evolved a bit since then, but I'm happy to discuss it. I love to spread the interest. I'm no expert but I enjoy it a lot.

Here's one more of the scales of the same butterfly pictured above. They're small wing scales on the underside of the wing, fairly close to the body. I used 360 exposures in this one, and my compound microscope rather than my continuous zoom (which is better for lower magnification stuff like the "portrait"). These two stacks are among my first attempts at using strobes for lighting, rather than continuous light, so I'm still experimenting and figuring out what works. I have some new gear incoming, too, which should help quite a lot.

You are doing fascinating work with your gear!

Originally posted by phx.david

This is one of the things I love about this forum. I don't have anywhere near the patience or skill for this type of photography but I love seeing it and it amazes me. Excellent work.

Originally posted by Bertrand3000

I had no idea butterfly actually had scales. You learn something everyday. Thanks for sharing this new picture./

Like what you guys said - this Forum is an education every day, and not just in photographic matters!

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07-11-2021, 07:10 PM	#2
MikeNArk Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Conway, Arkansas Posts: 15,239	That is incredible fine detail. I commend you for the effort that you put into this work. This is excellent. Last edited by MikeNArk; 07-12-2021 at 06:37 AM.

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07-11-2021, 07:35 PM	#3
Philoslothical Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 1,889 Original Poster	Thanks! I'm just trying to get back into the swing of it again for this year. I have a K-3 incoming that should make it more exciting than usual for me, too. Manual stacking is time consuming but it's great fun.

07-12-2021, 02:25 AM	#4
Fdooch Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Moscow Photos: Albums Posts: 764	Do you have a machine that increases the butterfly or reduces you?

07-12-2021, 04:56 AM	#5
archaeodude Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Fens Posts: 524	It's clear that you put a lot of work into your photography! Thanks for sharing!

07-12-2021, 09:38 AM - 1 Like	#6
Philoslothical Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 1,889 Original Poster	Originally posted by Fdooch Do you have a machine that increases the butterfly or reduces you? In a sense, the microscope does increase the butterfly. Sometimes I feel a little bit reduced by the experience. So, yes? Originally posted by archaeodude It's clear that you put a lot of work into your photography! Thanks for sharing! Thank you both for commenting. I find the enjoyment I derive from doing this kind of photography to be therapeutic so I try to spend a good amount of time engaging in it.

07-12-2021, 10:23 AM	#7
Bertrand3000 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 2,009	Impressive shot!

07-13-2021, 12:12 AM	#8
K2 to K50 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Ipswich QLD Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,820	Astounding! Both the amount of care and work it took, and the result.

07-13-2021, 08:36 AM	#9
swip Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,827	Amazing shot with so much details. Thanks for sharing.

07-13-2021, 09:19 AM	#10
5ks Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Southern Finland Posts: 681	Hard to believe such a photo is possible to make. But there it is, and - I feel speechless. You really earn lots of respect of your skills!

07-13-2021, 09:55 AM	#11
Philoslothical Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 1,889 Original Poster	Originally posted by Bertrand3000 Impressive shot! Originally posted by K2 to K50 Astounding! Both the amount of care and work it took, and the result. Originally posted by swip Amazing shot with so much details. Thanks for sharing. Originally posted by 5ks Hard to believe such a photo is possible to make. But there it is, and - I feel speechless. You really earn lots of respect of your skills! Thank you all for the nice comments. I'm not used to the generous feedback, I don't post very often. 5ks, if you (or anybody else here) is interested in getting into this stuff, I started a thread here last year. The way I do things has evolved a bit since then, but I'm happy to discuss it. I love to spread the interest. I'm no expert but I enjoy it a lot. Here's one more of the scales of the same butterfly pictured above. They're small wing scales on the underside of the wing, fairly close to the body. I used 360 exposures in this one, and my compound microscope rather than my continuous zoom (which is better for lower magnification stuff like the "portrait"). These two stacks are among my first attempts at using strobes for lighting, rather than continuous light, so I'm still experimenting and figuring out what works. I have some new gear incoming, too, which should help quite a lot.

07-13-2021, 11:54 AM	#12
phx.david Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Posts: 1,619	This is one of the things I love about this forum. I don't have anywhere near the patience or skill for this type of photography but I love seeing it and it amazes me. Excellent work.

07-13-2021, 01:36 PM	#13
Bertrand3000 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 2,009	I had no idea butterfly actually had scales. You learn something everyday. Thanks for sharing this new picture./

07-13-2021, 05:54 PM	#14
K2 to K50 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Ipswich QLD Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,820	Originally posted by Philoslothical Thank you all for the nice comments. I'm not used to the generous feedback, I don't post very often. 5ks, if you (or anybody else here) is interested in getting into this stuff, I started a thread here last year. The way I do things has evolved a bit since then, but I'm happy to discuss it. I love to spread the interest. I'm no expert but I enjoy it a lot. Here's one more of the scales of the same butterfly pictured above. They're small wing scales on the underside of the wing, fairly close to the body. I used 360 exposures in this one, and my compound microscope rather than my continuous zoom (which is better for lower magnification stuff like the "portrait"). These two stacks are among my first attempts at using strobes for lighting, rather than continuous light, so I'm still experimenting and figuring out what works. I have some new gear incoming, too, which should help quite a lot. You are doing fascinating work with your gear! Originally posted by phx.david This is one of the things I love about this forum. I don't have anywhere near the patience or skill for this type of photography but I love seeing it and it amazes me. Excellent work. Originally posted by Bertrand3000 I had no idea butterfly actually had scales. You learn something everyday. Thanks for sharing this new picture./ Like what you guys said - this Forum is an education every day, and not just in photographic matters!