Enjoyed this post. This is all good work, and as you know, it's hard work. Too bad your monarchs were damaged. It looks like you made a lot of progress in capturing them. I'm in the Socrate camp on monarchs, they're not as interesting as we wish. That said, you learn to shoot a monarch and all of butterflydom is at your command.
The clouded sulphur is a fine butterfly shot no matter what. Cream of the crop.
Hope you keep after these guys - they will push you to new skills -
Not that I know much about Flutterby shooting, but I'd say you've held your own very well against the Butterfly Big Boyz here, though I'm dismayed to hear that Socrate engages in a little post-processing fraud in fixing their wings. Another hero bites the dust... Picks are #s 4, 5 and 9, purely from an aesthetic level...
Very nice series, Karl!! Other's here have suggested you need more depth of field, and I agree to a certain extent. If you go too deep, you run the risk of rendering a rather flat looking image, and even having the background interfere. As you point out, it's all part of the learning curve, and sometimes it's simply a matter of personal taste.
And if there's one thing I have learned it's that it is nigh on impossible to get a butterfly in absolutely pristine condition!! Virtually every one I've shot has had wings that were either frayed or had obvious chunks bitten out of them, and everything in between. Some are so messed up, I can't believe they can still fly!!
MaggieBee wrote:
Your butterflies are so lucky, Socrate
Maggie and Socrate, I think the 'Plastic Surgery' is State sponsored and probably pays $ very well, great way to afford 'L' lenses
Oh, and by the way, neither one of you have to worry about me doing surgery to fix a wing, or any other missing part, I wouldn't know where to start...............yet I will have to send mine out for surgery
I stay out of the forum most of the day only to come back to realize - the forum's gone NutZz
Anthony's threatening to go to DPR. Chad, Tim & even Maggie - - well they're all on a roll. In several thread.
What's going on
There's no full moon tonight - I know that for sure.
Anyhow, back to your butterflies...
I like # 1, 3, & 4
And in this case - - I would not repair the wings personally. Too much work.
Lil
Lil, yes things were in rare form last night, must be all the buttz, speaking of that, where the heck is Nello And I think Maggie was 'sending' Ant to DPR None the less, thanks for a bit of sanity in your reply, I think I will remember this post for quite some time!
Anti Matter wrote:
Very nice series, Karl!! Other's here have suggested you need more depth of field, and I agree to a certain extent. If you go too deep, you run the risk of rendering a rather flat looking image, and even having the background interfere. As you point out, it's all part of the learning curve, and sometimes it's simply a matter of personal taste.
And if there's one thing I have learned it's that it is nigh on impossible to get a butterfly in absolutely pristine condition!! Virtually every one I've shot has had wings that were either frayed or had obvious chunks bitten out of them, and everything in between. Some are so messed up, I can't believe they can still fly!!
Apparently Shasoc (Socrate) has all the perfect ones Or at least we don't know any better It is good when things don't go as planned, makes you try a lot harder next time! There wasn't much room to work, very few subjects and not a heavily planted area to have good BG and the darn screening sure didn't look good as a BG. Anyhow, a great lesson, and certainly well worth it.
Thanks much for commenting!
Karl
Whatcha doing posting picks of a broken winged butterfly. You're supposed to shot the ones with perfect symmetry and stuff Still, nice work on the gimpy B'Fly Karl!
Not that I know much about Flutterby shooting, but I'd say you've held your own very well against the Butterfly Big Boyz here, though I'm dismayed to hear that Socrate engages in a little post-processing fraud in fixing their wings. Another hero bites the dust... Picks are #s 4, 5 and 9, purely from an aesthetic level...
Best Wishes,
Steve
I don't know if I have held up to any of the big boyz but at least I got a few mistakes out of the way for next time Steve I guess if we were all purists when it came to PP then there wouldn't be any PP! Shoot it, and like it or leave it, oh how that would change things for all of us
Thanks for the picks, there will be more to come!
Karl
Anti Matter wrote:
Very nice series, Karl!! Other's here have suggested you need more depth of field, and I agree to a certain extent. If you go too deep, you run the risk of rendering a rather flat looking image, and even having the background interfere. As you point out, it's all part of the learning curve, and sometimes it's simply a matter of personal taste.
And if there's one thing I have learned it's that it is nigh on impossible to get a butterfly in absolutely pristine condition!! Virtually every one I've shot has had wings that were either frayed or had obvious chunks bitten out of them, and everything in between. Some are so messed up, I can't believe they can still fly!!
Frank ...Show more →
Thanks for the support Frank Need more subjects of interest in a better local to experiment with, I can see it takes a great deal of effort to put together a stunning one, so my quest begins
Karl
Mr Zoom wrote:
Whatcha doing posting picks of a broken winged butterfly. You're supposed to shot the ones with perfect symmetry and stuff Still, nice work on the gimpy B'Fly Karl!
Zoom
Geez Ken, my wings look like your shutter curtain Socrate can fix my wings, maybe he would take a stab at your camera Sorry, had to remind you of that situation.............Thanks for commenting
Karl, my favorite is the last one. Nicely isolated. Very beautiful. With regard to butterflies I do use quite often f5.6 when the wings are almost in the focal plane. Otherwise you have to stop down very much to get the proper DOF. Nevertheless nice pleasing captures. Congrats.
Jude Perera wrote:
Karl, my favorite is the last one. Nicely isolated. Very beautiful. With regard to butterflies I do use quite often f5.6 when the wings are almost in the focal plane. Otherwise you have to stop down very much to get the proper DOF. Nevertheless nice pleasing captures. Congrats.
Hey Karl... couldn't they get a butterfly without knarly wing tips for crying out loud... this is the most challenging subject there is... well maybe man eating Tigers are a bit harder... they get kinda funny when you get close to them when they are eating... but I digress...
You did Ok on these... PM me and I tell you where my favorite spot is for Butters... and the season is right from now until fall. I use the 500 on a monopod to shoot em.
Don't get discouraged kid... these will drive you crazy.
Very nice Karl, I see you are getting lots of advice. I'd suggest that you go to Costa Rica where the butterflies are big and colourful and numerous. Just to practice you know.
Nice job with these. Butterfly gardens are great places to get shots. There is a local one here that I have gone to the last couple of years - http://www.pbase.com/jasonjg/brookside. Usually the variety of species is much better than you experienced but I love that last shot of the yellow butterfly. Very well done.
Picks are #s 4, 5 and 9, purely from an aesthetic level... 
