We are fortunate in the United Kingdom to be home to forty-nine species of butterfly and two regular migrants called The Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and the Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus). In recent years there has been a reduction in the overall population of butterflies in the UK and around half of these forty-nine species are seeing a decline in their numbers. Factors such as climate change, the use of pesticides, pollution, and habitat destruction are seen as the main causes. A recent report in The Guardian newspaper highlighted the fact that the summer of 2024 was reported to be the second worst on record for common UK butterflies.
Being aware of the reasons for their decline and the challenges they face can hopefully bring about a change in the way that society uses things like pesticides so that butterflies can continue to thrive in our environment.
One thing that is for sure is that they are the type of insects that people love to photograph.
The best way to photograph butterflies
It can be somewhat tricky to photograph butterflies as they are forever fluttering away just when you think that you have the perfect shot! Patience is, therefore, very much required.
Timing is everything when taking photographs of butterflies. The best times are either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. This is because butterflies are often a lot slower at these times of the day when temperatures are usually cooler. They are also less active which makes it a lot easier to approach them to take those all-important photographs. There tend to be fewer shadows at this time of the day and the soft natural light enables you to take more flattering photos than would be the case at other times.
The right location is also very important as you are likely to see plenty of butterflies in places that have lots of nectar plants. So, it would be worthwhile travelling to wildflower meadows, butterfly gardens, sunny woodland edges and nature reserves. If you have the right flowers growing in your garden this could also be a great place to look, and one which wouldn't require any travel!
With regards to the best settings to use on your camera, a fast shutter speed is recommended to freeze motion if the butterfly you are taking a photo of decides to flutter away. A manual focus is often better than autofocus when taking photographs of things quite close up. A macro lens is ideal for these close-up shots.
Being patient as mentioned above is a must as is remembering to move slowly with no sudden movements as this is likely to spook the butterfly with the result being it flying away at a pace.
Butterflies often face the sun, therefore it is a good idea to approach them from behind as, if you're lucky, they might not see you! They like to return to the same spot or flower so at times it's worth just staying in the same place, nice and still, in the hope that they might return.