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This thread is here to allow you to cast your votes for the June 2009 competition. See entries at gallery's, photo competition, June 2009. Voting closes on the 20TH.

You need to be registered and logged into the forums, where you'll be able to cast your votes for your three favourites. Once you've voted, that's it!

Please note : Any self votes will be removed

Gruditch

Congratulations to Malcolm Farrow, and Gwenhwyfar for a well deserved = 1ST. Chuffed with my 3RD place, thank you to those that voted for me.
An honourable mention must go to NickB, who had one of my votes, and pushed so hard all the way, for a place on the podium.

Well done to all that entered.

On a personal note, my other two votes went to ColinC, and Eccles.

Malcolm, Lisa says can you do the critique.

Gruditch

Yep! Great shots again this month and difficult to get down to just 3 again. Thanks to those who voted for me....Pleased to have pushed the guys and gal (!) all the way....
My tastes are towards the overall composition and "feel" that the image gives me - so I may not just go for the super-sharp frame-fillers that some people prefer and go for something slightly less obvious. But it still has to be sharp and well-exposed and the butterfly must appear against an uncluttered background for a photo to be considered....
I voted for Gruditch, Rogerdodge and FiSHIEE - the latter shot I just loved beacuse of the expression on the butterfly's face as it supped away - reminded me of a chic Frenchman, drinking a beer outside a cafe, smoking a Gauloise and calling "..Allo, ladies... " to the passing girls...
Looks like being a bumper year - for Photo Comps too
N

Very well done to the winners.
I voted for Gwenhwyfar, Rogerdodge and Roger Gibbons.
Some excellent shots AGAIN this month.
Well done all

Denise

Great shots again this month. I voted for Malcolm Farrow, Polly and IAC

Well done to the winners. To the 16 people with "Nil points" i would like to say don't give in to despair... i have been there & share your pain.

Charles

A heart-felt thank you to everyone who voted for me - cheers guys (and gals)! I'm not sure I really deserve it, but it's great to share the podium with Gwenhwyfar, one of a growing core of photographers on this site who month after month turn out really outstanding pictures.

Living in Suffolk, I have to travel if I want to see fritillaries, and it's taken me three years to get satisfactory shots of SWF, such as this one. There's so much that has to fall in place if things are to work out: timing has to be just right to catch the butterflies at their best, and the double whammy of work commitments and adverse weather mean that the window of opportunity is often small. But knowing where to go can make a huge difference, and my picture this month was made possible thanks to advice from Neil Hulme, aka Sussexkipper, Chair of the Sussex BC branch - so thanks Neil, very much appreciated your help. Having an understanding partner helps too - but this is starting to sound like an Oscars speech so tell me to shut up someone, or I'll be thanking our cat next!!!

With every passing month there seems to be more high quality entries, and more people voting, which highlights both the general interest in butterfly photography and the success of UK Butterfies as a website, but also throws down the gauntlet to anyone trying to win. The competition has never been keener and increasingly, it's an achievement just to be in the reckoning. All in all, that seems like a pretty healthy position to me, but with nothing much 'in the can' yet for July, I'd better get out there quick!

All the best

Malc

Well done Malcolm and Gary.

Plus a huge thanks to those who voted for my Skipper, another superb lot of entries, there is some serious talent out there.

My top three

ColinC (Comma)
My first vote - a great composition, great background and definitely 'wall worthy' deserved more than 4 votes I reckon.

NickB (Heath Frit)
Well done Nick!You got my second vote. I don't know what your doing differently, but you really are producing some brilliant shots just lately.

Pete Eeles (Spurge Hawk larva)
You got my Third vote, purely because I love photographing larvae, yet I struggle with it so much and you really nailed this one.

Gwenhwyfar wrote:...
NickB (Heath Frit)
Well done Nick!You got my second vote. I don't know what your doing differently.......

Thanks for your kind words

...maybe I'm getting them in focus now

Congratulations to the worthy winners and near-winners. Plenty of other excellent shots in there - as always!
Neil

Wow - another great selection. Thanks to the pair who voted for me (thanks Gwenny!).

I voted for Gruditch, Gwenhwyfar and osman123. But, as ever, it was really hard with only 3 votes!

Cheers,

- Pete

Congratulations to the winners, and well done to all the entrants!
Regards
Deano.

My votes were
NickB - Wonderful composition and no distractions from the immaculate Heath Frit.
ColinC - Again superb composition, that left hand leaf balances the Comma wonderfully. If only the butterfly had canted over a few degrees clockwise - perfection.
Gruditch - An artist eye picked out this shot - the frond sweping to the left and the soft lighting really made a winner for me here.
All three taken in overcast conditions (I think?) and all 3 pass the "On My Wall" test.
There were half a dozen other shots that could have got my vote, including Lisa's super detailed Skipper.
Loking at the entries so far for this month I think it is going to be even tougher to pick just 3 from July's entries, but what a great way to spend an hour or so?
Thanks to those that saw something worthy in my entry

Hi,

Well done to the winners, yet another superb set of photo's. The entries for this comp just keep getting better & better well done all .

Thanks to those that voted for my entry.

Cheers

Congratulations to the winners - I think this was the hardest ever for me to vote, and with just 3 votes available inevitably some real stunning photos couldn't have one. I probably had about I REALLY had a job to pick between for the top spots!

Those that got my votes in the end were Gwenhwyfar, NickB and Griditch(I think just scraping my number 1 spot) the other contenders were Malcolm Farrow, ColinC and Pete which should have had a vote but I didn't have any left!