What Am I Shooting For?

Posted May 8, 2019

Filed under Pearly-Eye, Raccoon Creek State Park, PA

Northern Pearly Eye Butterfly, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Raccoon Creek State Park in Pennsylvania

I smile when I look back on those first what?, 10 years of photographing butterflies. Film was cheaper then, Fuji Velvia slide film. Processing the exposed film was less expensive, and scanning too didn’t break your budget. I went out on a typical morning, and returned home with 10 or more rolls shot. I just about chased and photographed any butterfly that I found.

Nowadays, things have changed. My film is very expensive, processing and scanning the slides has also become more expensive. I have also changed. I no longer follow or stalk butterflies that are worn or bird-struck. When I see a spectacular Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (female) or an OMGoodness! Question Mark, I pause, gather my thoughts, and move on. My sizable collection of slides happily includes excellent images of same. Once in a while, I wonder what will happen to that collection, that includes many rare and declining species?

I’ve also given up on waiting for the Butterfly cognoscenti (how do I explain that to y’all?) to come along and visit. As on the streets of Brooklyn, back with ‘them,’ no names. That puzzle awaits I don’t know what.

What, then am I shooting for?

I’m now near ready to share that. I continue with the same energy and anticipation this 2019 . . . for us. For me and for you. I want to find and capture on film the finest, freshest butterflies. They must be of excellent color and form, male and female, if we can determine such.The color of my work must be exactly as it looks in the field, real-time. Film continues to be used worldwide because the color it delivers accurately reveals true field color. More than 25 years in the field confirms that. I shoot rolls of 36-exposures, and cull those slides out, usually keeping 2 or 3 per roll, at the most.

Once Katie Funaki has scanned them, I want you there, and me here, to pause for a sec, and whisper, “Wow!” Then, me? I hope you think G-d has really created boundless beauty.

This Northern Pearly-eye Butterfly met me at Raccoon Creek State Park, in southwestern Pennsylvania, USA. That about 380 miles west of where Benjamin Franklin printed his newspapers.

Jeff

How To Lose Your Mind in the Florida Panhandle

Posted January 6, 2016

Filed under Big Bend, WMA, FL, Swallowtail

This northern boy arrived in the Florida Panhandle, and was immediately greeted by Palamedes Swallowtails, lots of them. Here in Big Bend Wildlife Management Area, you see them every few minutes. That’s fun for me, accustomed as I am to seeing swallowtails in Pennsylvania maybe once every 45 minutes, if that.

Papilio palamedes are big butterflies. They fly with a slow, difficult to predict manner. They sip on nectar actively, especially with thistle and other nectar pumping flowers. Photographing these very large butterflies as they sip nectar from blooms is a challenge. They move their wings almost non-stop. Lacking good dorsal (super view) face-time, you perk up when you see one like this, standing motionless on the trail. What a great photograph that will be. Uh, well . . .

Making an approach to a Palamedes on the trail is a Good Way To Lose Your Mind. No sooner than you are the 10 feet away: Bye! bye! There’s a human! This cycle repeated itself, day after day. This butterfly is not bird-struck, and still fresh. So having learned my lesson, I shot photographs from a distance, and am happy to share them with you.

Jeff

A Monarch Tale of Woe: this Superstar is damaged. Shoot or Don’t Shoot?

Posted December 28, 2015

Filed under Eatonton, GA, Flowers Loved by Butterflies, Monarch

It was getting to be a problem. Here we were in Georgia, at the Butterflies & Blooms at the Briar Patch, on my 3rd trip down to this butterfly destination. Good images of Monarch butterflies just weren’t happening. First the USPS delivery of processed slides were stolen by ditzy teenagers from the front of my Pittsburgh home, only to later be found strewn on various lawns along the boulevard that we live on (after days of rain). So my May 2015 images were lost. Then, later, it wasn’t that the Briar Patch doesn’t have Monarchs. They have lots of Monarchs. Problem was that the Monarchs refused to permit good approach. My approach was met with Off it goes!

I got the feeling that folks were looking forward to have a look at the photographic product of all of that time (Glorious time!) spent in the Briar Patch. Set a moniker for 2015 for butterfly enthusiasts east of the Mississippi, and it would be: Year of the Monarchs.

Then one day in August, this stunner came along. My approach? Tolerated. The light available? Just fine. My position vis a vis the butterfly? Good. Set time on the Mexican sunflower head? Good and not rushed.

Something was just not right though. What was it? Oh oh! This butterfly had sustained major bird-struck damage to the right hindwing!! It was a Superstar with a glaring rip in her gown or in his tux. Shoot or don’t shoot?

Virginia, Stanley, Sylbie, Dave and Phil . . .

Jeff