How to Photograph Butterflies

Butterflies are colorful, abundant and frustrating: they rarely sit still when the sun is out. A little timing and fieldcraft changes everything.

When to go

• Early morning: butterflies need warmth to fly. Before about 9 a.m. on cool days they bask with wings open and allow close approaches.
• Overcast or cool days: they move less.
• Season: activity peaks from late spring to early autumn in most states. Our butterfly calendars by state show which species are recorded each month.

Where

Look for nectar plants in bloom — milkweed, coneflowers, asters, butterfly bush in gardens — and damp sand or mud where males gather to drink ("puddling"). Botanical gardens with butterfly houses are reliable year-round.

Approach

• Move slowly and keep a low profile.
• Avoid casting your shadow on the butterfly.
• Watch where one feeds and wait at the next flower rather than chasing.

Lens and settings

• A 100–180 mm macro or a 70–300 mm telephoto with close focus gives working distance.
• f/5.6–f/8 with the sensor parallel to the wings keeps the whole butterfly sharp.
• 1/500 s or faster for feeding butterflies; 1/2000 s+ to freeze flight. The motion blur calculator helps estimate.
• Continuous AF and a burst help with fluttering wings.

Composition

Photograph both sides: open wings show color from above; closed wings show patterns underneath. A clean, out-of-focus background makes colors pop.

Monarch migration

In autumn, monarchs migrate south; western monarchs overwinter in groves on the California coast, eastern monarchs in central Mexico. Respect closures at overwintering sites and never touch clusters.