Butterfly, Victoria Butterfly Gardens, Vancouver Island

Canon 30D, 60mm f/2.8 macro, ISO: 100, aperture: 2.8, shutter: 1/160 second, tripod: no, post: PS2

The Victoria Butterfly Gardens is a wonderful place to capture closeup images of plants, birds and of course, butterflies.  Many photographers prefer to use a longer lens (100mm or more) for macro shots, to give their subject a little space.  Most birds and insects  have little tolerance for a photographer and camera gear at close range.  A longer lens will certainly provide more working space , but they come with more size and weight, compared to a short lens.  Size and weight are an important consideration for me so I prefer to use a 60mm for my close up work.  It’s not ideal in every macro situation but the lens fits easily in a vest pocket so I’m more inclined to bring it along when on a shoot.