I know it's over the top to talk, let alone make a movie clip of the stills, about a butterfly that is not so uncommon. But, for me, this butterfly has a mystic allure. I like the color combination of its wings, almost pastel, its occasional sightings if not rare -many times at tree heights from my balcony, its shyness, ability to remain unavailable for a full-frame photograph.
Finally, this romance with this elusive creature came to fruition on Hesaraghatta lake-bed on a gloomy Sunday morning.
While wrapping up my photography gear for the day on the green Hesaraghatta lake-bed in fact on a disappointing note: hardly any notable photos for the day, I saw at a distance, two Jezebels “dancing" over a lantana shrub. At first, my previous experiences with this evasive butterfly told me to ignore them, another futile exercise of chasing them in the store. But, something goaded me to heed them -may be their teasing dance. I, at that moment, was with the zoom-lens-mounted camera around my neck. It is not the right lens for butterfly photography while a dedicated macro lens is, which was in my camera backpack. Anyway, I moved close enough to get full-frame of the subject with the zoom lens. Being over-excited to photograph them, I frantically started clicking with the zoom lens itself all the while fearing where such an opportunity would be lost. I wanted as many and every moment photographed. I went about clicking for a few more seconds. Then, as luck would have it,my LCD screen of the camera started blinking with a message “CF card is full"! Arre! Enappa..idu!! What a moment to run out space! I brought down my backpack and fumbled through it for the spare card. I found it. I placed it into the camera, all the while counting the precious time I was losing and hoping the butterflies would still be there after this "perceived rigmarole "! Seconds dragged on like minutes. When it was done I looked up. Arrewah!! They were still “waltzing “over lantana flowers. I went into that“photographer's high” and frantically resumed clicking.
Greed nudged me to stretch my luck a little further; Why not switch to macro lens and get better pictures. I have one camera body only. I knew the time lost while switching would be too precious. Jezebels may fly away. A naysayer in me called out, “Guru, this would be the last straw, so don’t push it!!” Still, I went down on my knees, dismounted my zoom, pulled the macro lens and screwed it to the camera. Again a minute or so was lost in the process. I thought I really overboard with my luck. I looked up fearing the expected. But, there! Lo and behold!One of the two butterflies was still around. This time it was flying teasingly closer to me. It was as if it noticed the switching of lenses and that it should get closer for better photos. Was it luck that it came closer to me or romance reciprocated? Anyway, I continued to press the shutter trigger.
I had my heart’s fill.
When I was done I was feeling really content and overwhelmed. It was one of those times when you want to rhapsodize the moment, sing and dance, like in the movies. Prudence told me not to.
Please watch the following link if you can spare 3 minutes:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sTNZynaoVwMscBCZYybpIZkm7Kce7pFS
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