Fig. 1. This is a Red-Spotted Purple Limenitis sp. which came to rest upon a moist mat which was set to dry upon a table at Three Rivers State Park, Florida, 2 August 2004. PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2006 BY TAL
The International Butterfly Fest is seeking photographs of butterflies and moths around the world!
The International Butterfly Fest is a challenge to take the best photographs of butterflies and moths around the world.
To participate in the International Butterfly Fest you must photograph a butterfly or moth in its natural environment. No means may be used to disturb or remove the butterfly or moth and place it in an artificial environment for making your photograph, except as indicated below. Part of the fun and challenge of this contest is to seek out butterflies in their natural environment and to photograph the butterflies without hurting or harming them. You may use feeders, lights or other means to lure butterflies and moths out of the woods and forests but please try not to actually capture or molest the butterflies or moths in the process of photographing them.
Butterflies should NOT be collected or held in captivity to get photographs. Nor should butterflies purchased from supply houses be used as subjects. This is a competition to photograph butterflies and moths in nature and in no way should any butterfly or moth be hurt, harmed, molested or disturbed in the process of observing and photographing it.
Of course there are exceptions which will be permitted. You may capture and release butterflies and photograph them exhibiting natural behavior, such as caterpillars feeding upon plants in a simulated natural environment. Or you may do photomicrography of butterflies, their larvae or eggs, as to record immature or minute features and details of butterflies which require the usage of a microscope. Even in such cases, however, it is recommended to attempt to photograph live specimens.
If photographing a particular behavior can be best done using captured and collected butterflies this is also permitted. In such cases please release butterflies after they are photographed. Remember, the challenge is to take photographs of live butterflies and moths in their natural environment exhibiting natural behavior. Please keep this in mind when taking photographs of butterflies.
Fig. 2. Red-Spotted Purple Limenitis sp. attracted to a moist mat set to dry upon a table at Three Rivers State Park, Florida, 2 Aug. 2004. PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2006 BY TAL.
How to photograph butterflies. Many butterflies or moths can best be photographed during the day or night when they are active. Fig. 1 shows a butterfly attracted to a moist mat that was set to dry upon a table in a state park. Butterflies may be attracted using this or other methods. Planting flowers in your yard or garden is another good way to attract butterflies.
In Fig. 2 a side view of a Red-Spotted Purple Limenitis sp. is shown. This butterfly came to rest upon a moist mat which was set to dry upon a park table.
Fig. 3. Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae feeding upon Lantana. Huntington College, Montgomery, Alabama 23 August 2005. PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2006 BY Terry Lynch.
The opportunity to photograph butterflies around your home may be increased by planting butterfly flowers. Many varieties of flowers will attract butterflies and provide colorful backgrounds to enhance your butterfly photographs.
Part of the fun and challenge of Butterfly Fest is to hunt for butterflies day or night and use your ingenuity to obtain good photographs. One way to photograph moths at night is to set up a UV lamp to attract the moths, allowing them to come to rest upon a white sheet where they can then be photographed.
Fig. 4. Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae feeding upon Lantana.. Huntington College, Montgomery, Alabama 23 August 2005. PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2006 BY Terry Lynch.
For additional information about how to photograph butterflies see the Art and Science of Butterfly Photography by William Folsom." This is an outstanding publication which reviews all aspects of how to photograph butterflies.
In general a good method to use is any camera with a macro lens. If you use a digital camera, those which have higher resolution will enable higher quality photographs to be obtained which may be enlarged to a greater degree before exhibiting pixels or grain. If using a film camera, a 35 mm SLR is recommended with a telephoto 80-200 mm zoom 1:4 lens and extension ring. Of course you may experiment with any zoom lens and extension ring combination you may have handy. If you are looking for good deals on camera equipment check out eBay. When buying any camera equipment on-line be sure you are allowed to inspect the equipment after receipt and make a return if you are not happy with it for any reason whatsoever.
Beginning October 1, 2008 any photographs selected for usage may be reprinted on promotional gifts and apparel to help raise funds. So please ONLY send photographs which include a completed entry form. This will be a way you can also get your nice designs upon high quality merchandise. Also you will be eligible to receive an annual prize which may show your photograph on a product. . Please complete and submit an entry form. Everyone is also encouraged to join CafePress and their affiliate program; affiliates may earn commission by making referrals so this is a way everyone may benefit from participation in this project. Thank you for your help and participation.
After photographing a butterfly or moth, please send a digital photograph of your specimen to Butterfly Fest. Please indicate the location (city/state/province), date and time where the photographs was taken and the name of the photographer. You may also indicate the scientific name of the butterfly should you know this. You should also indicate any other specific information you would like mentioned, as were the butterfly was found, plant it may be feeding upon, time of day or night, etc.
All entries become the property of The International Butterfly Fest and may be reprinted or published on this site or elsewhere to promote The International Butterfly Fest. No entries can be returned. Credit will be given to the photographer as PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2008 BY JOHN/JANE DOE.
When you submit an entry you are giving permission to use your photograph, to publish it and/or use it in making and marketing promotional items. This will over time help support the International Butterfly Festival. Any profits will be used to support this site and/or help promote an awareness about butterflies and moths and the need to preserve them and to conserve and protect our natural environment. This is meant to be a fun, educational and informative endeavor. Do NOT send any butterfly, moths or other photographs unless you agree to these terms. Do NOT release any information that you do not want published upon the Internet or otherwise. By participating in the International Butterfly Fest you release its sponsors, promoters, agents and representatives from any and all liability whatsoever associated with the usage of any photographs, information or material submitted, transferred or otherwise provided in the context of the International Butterfly Fest. Thank you for your participation and entries!
There is no limit to the number of entries you may make. The International Butterfly Fest has a perpetual duration and is open to anyone, anywhere in the world. Postings will be made of the best entries which will be featured on this site. The International Butterfly Fest does not discriminate against people, butterflies or moths based upon race, religion, color, sex or national origin. :-) Our philosophy is that every Lepidopterist is a good Lepidopterist ; some are just more colorful than others! :-)
No pics of human butterflies or faeries drawn on the human body are allowed in this competition so please keep your privates to yourself! Sorry, but this had to be said for certainly someone would dress up as a butterfly or send in pics of their butterfly tattoos that would have to be disqualified for this is a challenge involving the photographing of REAL butterflies, not tattoos, drawings of butterflies upon nude bodies or other depictions of butterflies.
Please help promote and support The International Butterfly Fest. A variety of "Butterfly Stuff" is provided for your enjoyment!
Free wallpaper/backgrounds are available from Butterfly Magic.
Click to download Butterfly Magic Original Release 1 January 2006!. File size: 1,313,584 bytes. Use PKUNZIP or a similar PKWARE product to unzip Butterfly Magic.
If you use Butterfly Magic please make a donation to the artist, Terry Lynch, via PayPal.com to the account of terrylynch@aol.com. Thank you for your support!
You may use the secure code below to make immediate donations. Please make a donation of between $1.00 to $5.00 or more. Thank you.
Terry Lynch is a master graphic artist and designer who has done original research related to fireflies and other insects. Lynch has produced and developed thousands of original designs including designs related to flags, hearts, flowers, dogs, animals, insects and other nature themes. You may view Lynch's art in the Byteland Art Gallery at http://www.cafepress.com/bytelandart.
Butterfly Magic includes a series of tiles which have been digitally enhanced to use as wallpaper upon the Internet. When used as wallpaper in the BODY of a page, Butterfly Magic designs provide a beautiful background mosaic to illuminate the Internet.
There is a variety of Butterfly Art items to help promote awareness about butterflies, world peace, love, joy, happiness and goodwill among all humanity. Please visit the Butterflies Are Magic Art Gallery. Thank you for your support and patronage.
There are many interesting aspects about butterflies and moths which may be captured using photography. Certainly the feeding behavior of butterflies would make for interesting and challenging photographs; i.e., to photograph butterflies and moths feeding upon flowers and identify the species of each. The metamorphosis of butterflies would also be an interesting and challenging aspect of their lives to photographs as would the laying of eggs and the feeding of caterpillars upon their host food plants. Close up photographs of the eyes of various types of butterflies or their wing scales would also be of interest. The various type cocoons and chrysalis constructed by butterflies and moths would also be interesting to photograph as would their emergence from the pupae stage. Should you collect specimens and maintain them in captivity in order to make such photographs, please describe your methods so that this may be known, as to enable others to repeat your work and understand that these photographs were enabled by the methods employed and were not taken in the field. For example, if you collect larvae of the Monarch butterfly and rear them upon milkweed in order to obtain photographs of chrysalis construction or emergence of butterflies, please specify this fact. All photographs of butterflies or moths sent may be published in the butterfly gallery or reprinted and marketed upon promotional Butterfly Fest items in the future. Thanks Lepidopterists!
I would like to thank everyone for sending their interesting, unusual or beautiful butterfly photographs. Entries will be featured here for all to enjoy!
This enhanced photo shows how a Zale moth's eyes appear to gleam when a bright light is shined upon them. A copper, reddish reflection indicates that light has reached the retina and is reflected back to the observer. PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2006 BY Terry Lynch.
Please visit these educational and informative sites. Don't forget to go butterfly hunting. Make a day of it and see who can find and photograph the most colorful or interesting butterfly or moth.
You may support The International Butterfly Fest with a donations of any amount which will be considered a gift to a private individual and is NOT tax deductible. You may also make donations via PayPal.com to the email address of terrylynch@aol.com. Thank you for your consideration and support.
You may also help by purchasing design items featured in The Butterflies Are Magic gallery and available via our sponsor. Thank you for your support.
Because firefly habitats are being destroyed at alarming rates, wetlands being drained to build resorts, forested areas being clear cut and burned, the virgin rain forests being raped and plundered for profit, it is vital that people be made aware of how greedy industrialist are destroying the environment. Hence I took the above firefly flight pattern design and gave fireflies the names of real people to make an emotional appeal for the preservation and protection of firefly habitats. Please buy these gifts and apparel and help the Go Green campaign to recycle, conserve and protect our natural resources, wildlife and the environment that tomorrow there will still be fireflies to grace our lives and to show our children
