Paul

[Paul]

I went down to Chambers Wood again this pm to see if I could find a Brown Hairstreak. I did see some, but only high in the ash trees and nothing photographable. However.... I wasn't aware there were Silver Washed there.... but this tired old man turned up....


The best of the rest were....

[selbypaul]

Hi Paul
I went to Chambers Farm wood this exact weekend last year. Was lucky to see one Brown Hairstreak halfway up a Hawthorn Bush. With a bit of zoom on a very basic camera I managed to get an ok photo. Intend to go back again in two weeks time. Do you think the Brown Hairstreak will still be out and around then?

About the Silver Washed Fritillary, I too didn't know it was a Chambers Farm Wood. However, there have been quite a few introductions there, so maybe its a result of one.
Paul

[Paul]

yep.. I sort of thought as much...

You were much luckier than I have been!!.... I went last week and saw zilch, and this week some high up ones, unless they were aged PHs... I didn't have bins with me... I think they will be around for a couple of weeks yet at least.

[Paul]

My Purple Hairstreaks are there again!!! I thought they had faded away, haven't seen them for over a week. 2 spiralling males at the top of the Oak earlier this evening....

My wildflower bit has changed again with the seasons....


and a Peacock posed nicely in the evening sun...


They are at their maximum now, with absolutely loads of them in the garden

[Paul]

Well, finally took the plunge, and now am proud if somewhat nervous owner of a Canon D7 and Canon 100mm IS macro lens ..... now all I have to do is learn how to use them.. gulp . Watch this space..

[Jack Harrison]

For the same cost as that outfit, we are about to get a wood burning stove (fully installed). I wanted the camera but.......

I guess that’s why we are still married 25+years down the road

Jack

[Michaeljf]

Well, finally took the plunge, and now am proud if somewhat nervous owner of a Canon D7

Paul,
I presume you mean the Canon 7D? I got one before I went on holiday to Andalucia, to go with my 50D so I could keep a 'bird' lens on one body and not miss the butterflies at the same time. The first photos I took were of the White-Letter Hairstreaks at Forest Farm in Whitchurch, Cardiff in reasonably low-light.

I'm sorry to report that my first impression of the 7D is that is wasn't as good for butterflies and macro-photography as I was hoping. With a bit of time I've found that the butterfly shots seem better using Liveview rather than taking photos while looking through the viewfinder (which is my normal process): maybe there's less problem with shutter-shake that way. Anyway, your photos are always superb so I don't suppose you'll have any problems with using the new Canon Body.

Michael

[Paul]

I appreciate the warnings chaps - I think it will take a lot of practise!!.... I agree live view is the best way, I've never used a viewfinder yet!!! at least I will know what the photos would be like on DSLR now... I'm not expecting good results to start with, so shan't be trying it out on rare stuff for a while. won't have much of a chance to practise this season

[Padfield]

Can I have your old camera, Paul?

Guy

[Pete Eeles]

Can I have your old camera, Paul?

Guy

Yeah - Paul's photos have been truly awful to date So - why did you feel the need to change from your current setup, Paul?

I have to say, if I were to change anything, I'd probably get rid of my current equipment and get a microscope and video camera; I feel I'm missing something in terms of ultra-macro photography and behaviour. I wonder how much an electron microscope costs?

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

Pete:

I wonder how much an electron microscope costs?

You are quite right Pete about the quality of the results from an electron microscope. The latest edition of National Geographic has some stunning photos including an amazingly beautiful one of an Adonis Blue egg. But it’s such a pity that National Geographic follows the modern trend of displaying many of its pictures over two pages. I simply cannot understand this policy as the middle gets lost in the fold of the magazine and - to my eyes at least – ruins the photos. Newspapers and books are just as guilty and spoil many superb photographs.

Jack

[Paul]

aaaargh... don't tell me that!! and Guy.... it depends on the results.... you may get the bl*%$y new one if I can't cope

I lay the blame at Roger Gibbons feet, since he achieves such sparkling results, I lust after emulating them, and would never know the possibilities if I didn't do this... also if it works out I wont be as antisocial to be with, as at the moment I keep scaring things away by going so close - I figure I'll be able to stay about a foot away in the future. - and I want blurry backgrounds!!!

Easy to say, doubt it will be as easy to do

and yes, I'm seriously smarting from the thought I could have had a whole butterflying holiday for the same £

Pete, intriguing, I wonder if a butterfly is recognisable at quantum level but ultra-macro is probably further than I will ever go!

hmmm - never saw that Jack, wish I had.

[Jack Harrison]

Not quite the electron microscope we were discussing, but an interesting selection of “toys” here:
http://www.brunelmicroscopessecure.co.u ... gital.html

Jack

[Paul]

no excuses now for not having the ultimate ovae photos!!!

and on behaviour .... I will not forget, but have no record of, the intricate courtship of Geranium Bronzes in the undergrowth, or the x-rated grappling of the Apollos... but I believe the 7D will do "movies"... may try that out at some stage So Pete, I totally see your point.

[Michaeljf]

you may get the bl*%$y new one if I can't cope

Paul,
I'm sure you'll be able to cope, but if you fancy half a day down in South Wales, I'll gladly help you with getting use out of the 7D. Or feel free to PM me with any questions on using the camera. Apart from using it in the video mode - I have a good camcorder for that if necessary

I did wonder how you felt you could improve your images anyway but you will get closer to your butterflies with less effort using the Liveview on the 7D.

Bye the way, I think we're all envious of Roger Gibbons photographs. Once you forget his eye for a picture, the hard work, his immense knowledge and fieldwork necessary, I think the fact that he uses a Tripod all the time (?) may be part of the reason why his photographs are so good. I'd add that I use a tripod for all my landscape panoramas, so hand-holding a camera is a welcome change for me which is why I'm loathed to start going tripoding with my macro shots too. Having said that, you may already be using a tripod.

Faded backgrounds are mostly due to aperture value, but you can lose definition of the whole of the butterflies wings with a big aperture, especially when hand-holding shots. Please stop me if I am teaching Granny to suck eggs!

Michael

[Michaeljf]

Faded backgrounds are mostly due to aperture value, but you can lose definition of the whole of the butterflies wings with a big aperture, especially when hand-holding shots. Please stop me if I am teaching Granny to suck eggs!

Looks like this discussion point came in a page or so back, so I'll get me coat

[Paul]

No, that's great, thanks, and I truly am a novice with this stuff....
I always have hand held.... can't see a tripod working at all.... but we'll see. and the f-stop, well I need to play... I realize the DOF of the Lumix is so nearly right.... and for many angle wing shots I may have to compromize on the OOF backgrounds etc... seems it depends how quickfingered you can be with the myriad of buttons/ dials - as I said, unless I did this and tried, I would never know...

and many thanks for the offer of assistance, expect a PM maybe sometime next spring - I suppose I might even make the pilgrimage to the next UKB photo workshop, but I've never gotton away with it yet

[Paul]

First go.... Canon 7D with Canon 100mm macro IS ......... fifty photos... all out of focus ( nothing more than a Small Tort shot lost)

[Michaeljf]

First go.... Canon 7D with Canon 100mm macro IS ......... fifty photos... all out of focus

Paul,
first of all - do you mean slightly out of focus in bits (i.e. you're a perfectionist) or completely out of focus? Even as a novice with the 7D you shouldn't really be having that much trouble.

Is the macro lens still set on MF rather than AF? (should be a button to the side of the lens) or alternatively set on a distance setting on the macro that isn't correct (i.e.0.31m, 0.48m) - second button on the side of the macro.

Are you currently shooting on the fully automatic setting (i.e. green square on dial) in which case the camera is in charge completely. I would try going to Av (Aperture value) where you can dictate settings more. The camera as standard will tend to shoot on ISO 100, which means in lower light it will always shoot slightly slower speeds if the butterfly is hoping about - which may not be helping. On AV you can always bump up the ISO to, say ISO 400 (small black 'ISO' dial on right top of camera). Then you have a better option of changing the Av from a wide aperture (3.2) to something smaller (5.6 or 10) which means you'll get more of the butterfly in focus. As stated, as you go from wider to smaller aperture the camera shutter speed will slow down, so this is better either in good sunlight or with the ISO set higher. In the Canon's you can't really see the grain at higher ISO's for quite a while (i.e. past 1000 ISO) so this a good 'equalizer'.

Alternatively the focus point of the camera screen could be set anywhere rather than where the butterfly is (see checkboard button on top right edge of back of camera body, press checkboard button and move buttons as you look through the viewfinder to see the spot focus change on the screen).

Don't know if this helps. But then, if you're talking about stacking images already, you must know what you are doing

Michael

[Paul]

Hi... thanks...
will experiment as you suggest... and thanks for the tips... I really appreciate it.... floundering away in short bursts today.... found my main problem.... I'd read I need a polarizing filter up front... so did so.... took it off and bingo... focus!!!.... NOW I can start taking bits of advice!!
Here is a try out this evening with one of those infernal lazy buzzing blighters that seem to arrive in droves out of nowhere & squat in our kitchens just annoying everyone....



.... mind you.... it did sit still.... could have tried to get lots of images focussing on different bits... here we go stacking.... ( didn't though )