Butterfly World
Updated: Apr 20, 2022
Why a Wonder: The largest butterfly park in the world, Butterfly World is home to thousands of “flying flowers” in a tropical setting.
Where: Coconut Creek, Florida.
When: Throughout the year.
Photography: Butterfly world is a nature photographer’s paradise. Macro lenses and telephoto lenses can be used for tight shots of these colorful wonders of the animal kingdom. For more of an environmental photograph (subject and environment), use a wide-angle lens.
You can’t use a tripod or monopod, so you’ll need to hand-hold your shots. For sharp natural-light shots with a macro lens, you’ll need to boost our ISO – because you’ll need a small aperture for good depth-of-field and shutter speed fast enough to prevent a blurred picture due to camera shake. An option is to use a ring light, which lets you shoot at a low ISO, relatively low shutter speed and small aperture for maximum depth-of-field.
When composing a picture, include a background that compliments the main subject. You’ll need to be patient to get a good photo, as the butterflies are free to fly from flowers and feeders. It's best to focus on a small area instead of chasing butterflies from flower to flower.
As with all wildlife photography, try to capture behavior or action.
Butterflies don’t like to fly when it’s below about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so you’ll want to check the weather before you go.
© Rick Sammon
