Abstract and Extreme: Close-Up Photographs of Butterfly Wings Made From Thousands of Images

As cameras get better and more capable, it has become easier than ever to capture an amazing photo. But for some photographers, pushing possibilities beyond comprehension is the only way to roll. Check out the amazing results produced by combining over 2,000 carefully focus stacked images of butterfly wings.

Photographer Chris Perani is an extreme macro photographer who specializes in shooting butterflies at a microscopic level. This specialty might surprise some people when they find out Perani lives north of San Francisco, an area known for its many picturesque locations. Perani explains that the flowing waterfalls, giant redwoods, and luscious green hillsides can be rather seasonal. Come summer, the waterfalls dry up and the mountains turn brown, diminishing their appeal.

To challenge himself one summer, Perani invested in a macro lens. He was stunned by the beauty all around us that we walk right by every day. Things such as the various textures on a leaf or a tiny water drop on a spiderweb offered a whole new playground of amazing things to capture.

This macro thing proved to be a bit of a slippery slope for Perani, who one day found himself on a golf course running around with a net, desperately trying to catch butterflies and dragonflies. He wanted to really be able to show the texture of insect wings, but needed the control and lighting offered in a studio setting. This actually proved to be fairly seasonal as well. Perani ended up relying on catching as many specimens as possible during the spring and summer since the butterflies started looking bedraggled from a long summer. Perani’s freezer must have sure looked pretty interesting.

All images used with permission by Chris Perani.

One day, while feeling discouraged and down about a dwindling supply of insects to shoot, Perani visited the butterfly exhibit at the San Francisco Academy of Science to photograph his favorite subjects. At the exhibit, there was a table with butterfly wings and microscopes. For the first time, you could see every detail of these beautiful wings. Perani knew he had found his next project.

Diving in head first researching how to photograph the minute detail he was looking for, Perani came across the incredible work and videos put out by Levon Biss. This involved shooting through a normal camera lens in addition to a microscope objective. While getting set up was easy enough, the process proved to be rather frustratingly difficult to pull off. He learned through a number of simple mistakes you might never think could result in a blurry photo. Things like a shaky table, hot lights, specks of dust, and even walking in the studio could be a dealbreaker. Luckily and rewardingly, the final result was worth all the effort.

Credit: by Michael B. Stuart
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