I'm glad there are no criteria for technical expertise, because the photo that gave me most pleasure is blurred and happened completely by accident. I was trying to edge closer to an Ilex Hairstreak in France a couple of months ago, but just as I pressed the shutter the bloody thing took off
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
Thankfully, it hadn't quite escaped the range of the lens and provided a very rare view of the upperside of a species which, like many Hairstreaks, always settles with wings firmly shut.
My overall favourite of the year though is from a member of this site (he's welcome to come forward and identify himself because it'd take me far too long to track the original post within which this magnificent shot was contained) and is a truly lovely and quite ephemeral shot of a male and female Brimstone engaged in airborne courtship. It has pride of place as my screensaver.
![Image](http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff241/si_mac67/Butterflies/Brimstonesinflight.jpg)