Was almost late for work this morning..

Usually I only see the Cloudless Sulfur butterflies around (that I can get to anyway), but this morning while dropping my son at grandma's house I spotted this Gulf Fritillary TFL!

The more I play with my camera the more I want a macro lens lol

Very nice, and good find. I'd be thrilled to have captured this beautiful butterfly. Lucky you!!!

If you go for the macro, make sure it's a long focal length. I find that my Sigma 150mm macro is just too short for bugs. And butterflies are usually just too hard to get close to. I usually use my longer lens, the 70-200mm with a 1.4X or my newly purchased Sigma 50-500mm. But admittedly, the macro prime gives a really better image. I just get so frustrated.

For butterflies, I use the 200mm F2.8L either alone or with my 1.4 Telextender. The problem with macro lenses or macro distances is that it is so hard to capture moving subjects like these. They go out of focus so fast! Besides, how much closer would you want to get?

Jim

Jim, this past July I photographed an Eastern Tailed Blue butterfly with the 70-200mm with the 1.4X. That's a tiny little butterfly, and getting close was all but impossible. I came out with a decent image, but it is a crop. I get frustrated because I try to fill the frame (don't we all?), but it's impossible with anything except a macro with these tiny bugs.

Diane,
there are no demerits for cropping . In fact, if you have enough mpx, it's the only way you can fill the frame shooting these guys.

Jim

Hi Katie,

This series is lovely.

James

Thanks everyone!

I did have a super nice 55-300mm zoom lens...I loved it. But I came up on hard times and had to sell it. Now I am trying to use the 18-55mm kit lens and not feel discouraged lol.