www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

This is the June 2010 competition.

To enter the competition, please post a single image, taken within the month of June 2010 (1 post per member) as follows:

- Click on the "Gallery" link and then open the "June 2010" album
- Click the "NEWIMAGE" button
- Follow the instructions to upload a single image

To view the entries:

- Click on the "Gallery" link and then open the "June 2010" album

You'll be able to edit or delete your entry until 5th July. To do this:

- Select the "Moderate" link at the bottom of the image details
- Take the appropriate action

You will be unable to rate or comment on the image until the competition has been voted on. Comments and constructive critique are very welcome thereafter.

Look forward to seeing the entries roll in , good luck !

Regards Gruditch

Voting is now open.

Regards Gruditch

Congratulations to Mark_V 1st, Fishiee 2nd, and ColinC 3rd, and well done to all that entered.



Regards Gruditch

Well done everyone...some wonderful pics there. Mark's Swallowtail would make a beautiful postage stamp.

I still have not figured out the "hidden danger" in Colin's pic

Charles

There's a spider on the thistle head, on the left.

Congrats to the winners and all the entrants, wonderful shots this month. I think any of about 10 or 15 could have pipped it for me.

Anyway............I have decided to bite the bullet and need to know where I'm going wrong and therefore I would welcome some critique on my Marbled White.... be gentle

Thanks,

Lee

Lee Hurrell wrote: I would welcome some critique on my Marbled White....


Lee

the composition is very good & this could have been a winner ...if the butterfly's wings were as well-focussed as the head.

Charles

Congratulations to the winners, and well done to all the entrants. There were some great shots this month as always!

Best wishes,
Deano.

Congratulations to my rostrum buddies Mark_V and ColinC. oger Gibons who almost made it, and was my 2nd favourite (and would have been clear winner if not for that light blade of grass running right across the background - real shame! My favourite this month was Clive's Large Skipper. The tricky exposure was spot on and the detail camptured superb! Good composition too.

Congratulations to everyone else who entered another set of great images!

Lee - I liked your marbled white shot a lot. A quite difficult shooting angle (it could see you taking the shot so you had to be good with your fieldcraft to get it) to capture a quite different viewpoint to the norm, but the focus being on the flower head rather than the butterfly really spoilt it for me.

The main interest was also in the bottom half of the image so I'd have removed perhaps the top third of the image which would also get rid of those odd couple of bits of flower at the top of the shot.

If there was more space either side in the original shot I'd perhaps of left a fraction more space there, but the sharpness and the crop were the main issues for me.

You're not far off a winning shot to be honest IMO. Just need to keep an eye on the focus point and crop the shot a little better in future and you're there!

Thanks both for the feedback, Charles and John.

I'll keep practicing.

One thing I have noticed recently is that my shots do not seem as 'bright and colourful' as most others. I normally shoot 1/3 of a stop underexposed. I'm assuming the colour is because when not in direct sunlight, the shot is a bit duller, and that I don't have photoshop to brighten things up or change levels etc at home, so my images are what comes off the camera. Would that be the case? Or am I missing something - waiting for better light, using flash, ISO settings etc?

With regard to Charles' comment, would a longer depth of field have given more focus on the wings?

Thanks again,

Lee

Sorry I'm a bit late in replying but congratulations to Mark & John and thanks to everyone that voted for me - that swallowtail picture was to use Mr Rouse's terminology "just plain beautiful".

My DGF image was a snatched shot - midday and very active butterflies - and I too didn't see the spider Charles until back home when my first thought was shame about the wilted petals on the lh side - until I took a closer look and then I got my title.

Lee - I agree with John's critique regarding your image - good and different angle but the focus on these shots has to be spot on the eye to make them work - you need that eye contact as you are going to have most of the butterfly oof. Its also a little cluttered and a 4:3 crop would have balanced the shot better with a little more room needed around the butterfly. To go the next step I would start being selective in the choice of perch or try "gardening". You sometimes have to decide not to take the shot and wait by or create a clean perch. Not at all easy with Marbled whites at 12.00 ( ok - impossible) but at 05.00 it's alot easier.

Colin

Thanks Colin,

All valid and interesting points, I will keep trying!

Cheers

Lee

Hi Lee,

In response to your last question, I think depth of field is probably ok. In a shot at that angle you wouldn't be expected to get front-back fully focused. The head and leading edges of the wings are the key parts at this angle I think. You could increase depth of field to get more in focus, but at the same time the background would also be more in focus and more distracting. It's always a battle to get as much of the butterfly in focus as you can while still retaining an out of focus and unobtrusive background. You can't often get the subject fully in focus with the background nicely soft unless there's a big gap between the two which in this case you don't have.

I think depth of field as you have it but point of focus needs to be on the butterflie's head rather than the flower head and as a result the wings will be a lot sharper too. It's amazing how much difference just a few mm movement of the focus point can make.

Thanks again Jon.

If I remember correctly, I think that shot was taken using auto focus. Just recently I've stared using manual a bit more as the closer I get the more I need to pick the focal point. Mind you, I should be backing off a bit too!

I've attached the shot as entered for ease of this thread. Cheers

Lee

Hi Lee. I actually swear by autofocus 99% of the time unlike most others here. I've always used it and generally it's pretty reliable. I'd rather be thinking about all the other aspects of getting the shot and not have to think about focus. I have to be selective with my focus points at times, though generally central focus point is pretty good for most things.

I wasn't sure if you used an slr or a compact/bridge camera as to whether you had control over the point of focus at all or whether you were reliant soley on the camera getting it right.

Hi Jon,

That's a good point about the focus and the other aspects. I use a Canon D10 with a 24-85mm zoom lens.

I imagine when I get a macro lens things might be a little different with focus, closeness to the subject etc.

Cheers

Lee