78 PRACTICALPHOTOGRAPHY
Marbledwhites
byTonyNorth
Early morning
vi sits allow
me to position
butterflies onthe
gr ass without
them flying away,
using a handling technique
which doesn’t cause them
any damage. For this shot,
th e first trick was to get them
al l on the same plane, so they
fell within the lens’ narrow
depth-of-field. The second
was to create a pleasing
composition, using the
harmonising elements. I then
had to ensure the background
was distant enough to avoid
any distracting details.
artofmacro.com
Kirk says: In stark contrast
to David’s colourful quadtych
on the previous page, which
screams modernity and fine
art, Tony’s natural world
study is both calming and
timeless. The colour palette
is muted and organic, with its
burnt ochres and rusty reds,
while the very deliberate
triangular composition uses
the rule of odds to create
visual balance.
Amazingly, Tony has only
been a serious photographer
since 2016, and discovered
macroa yearlater,whichgoes
to show how much expertise
can be gained in a very short
space of time. He’s even won
awards for his work, and
plans to start leading macro
workshops in the near future.
Remarkable!
Technically, Tony’s image
is flawless. The marbled
whites are so sharp you can
see every hair in impressive
detail, and the barley is
pin-sharp too, even when
viewed at 100%. His use of
a 105mm macro lens with
1.4x teleconverter created
an effective focal length of
around 150mm, giving Tony
a comfortable distance
between lens and subject.
Specialising in a genre like
macro photography can be
very rewarding, as it’s a quick
way to a cohesive portfolio.
Tony has clearly developed
a great deal of skill in this
technically demanding arena.Althoughmoreactivein summer,it’sstillpossibleto shoot
butterfliesin thewintermonths.Peacocks,redadmirals
andsmalltortoiseshellscanoftenbe seenon sunny
winter days, as the warmth can fool them into thinking
it’s time to wake from their dormant state. It’s also quite
common to find them hanging around in sheds and
tucked up between roof beams. Just remember to check
on them in the spring to see if they need letting out!Butterflies in winterThemarbled
whites are
so sharp
you can
see every
hair in
impressive
detail
Ni kon D500 | 105mm + 1.4x teleconverter | 1/640sec | f/10 | ISO 640Feedback