www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

To enter the competition, please post a single image, taken within the month of September 2011 (1 post per member) as follows:

- Click on the "Gallery" link and then open the " September 2011" 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 "September 2011" album

You'll be able to edit or delete your entry until 5th October. 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 !

Gruditch

Does the photo for entry have to be taken in the U.K. I assume it has to be Sept. this year.I am not familiar with the rules,so another question is does- it have to be a butterfly.Are the rules posted anywhere?
P.J.U.

Yes, it has to be taken this September.

Yes, it can be taken abroad.

Yes, you can enter a picture of something else, moth, caterpillar etc.

Regards Gruditch

Some great photos of Hungarian butterflies but surely only one per person and should be taken in September?

VOTING IS NOW OPEN.

You have on till the 10.59pm on the 20th October to vote.

To vote, click on Comments: No comments yet under an image, then at the bottom of the page you will see Your rating: rate the image then submit.

In the interests of fair play, please try to vote.

Regards Gruditch

Congratulations to Nigel KIteley 1st, Fishiee 2nd, and Antonym 3rd, and well done to all that entered.

Regards Gruditch

Well done to the three winners Goldie M

Well done to the winners-great photos. I nearly made the podium- 4th I believe.

Nigel Kiteley is approaching legendary status. Who is he? I don't remember him posting.

6th still not good enough I'll be back

With 300 mm glass beast

The Annoying Czech wrote:6th still not good enough I'll be back

With 300 mm glass beast

Depends on whether the rating is the criterion or total points. 6th or 8th whichever is chosen.
Personally I feel the average score ie the rating should be the final arbiter- so you were 6th and I was third!.

I just sorted the gallery by "Rating/Descending". The fairest solution, I'm sure!

From what I've seen, Nigel Kiteley is certainly the best photographer here, and pretty much representing the level I'd like to achieve as soon as possible with the appropriate glass.

What's worst news, he literally decided to destroy the "Butterflies of Overseas" annual competition (Btw, what's the photo limit per 1 member?)

We've been around this loop several times. For those that weren't part of that debate, it was decided that the total number of points is the fairest mechanism.

Otherwise, for example, a person getting a single vote of 10 points (average = 10.0) would beat someone getting 100 votes of 10 points and 1 vote of 9 points (average 9.99).

Cheers,

- Pete

For personal reasons, I no longer usually post on this site, and limit my activities to the photo comps. However, having finally scraped onto the 'podium' after 3 years of trying, it would be churlish not to thank those who kindly voted for me, and to congratulate the 1st and 2nd winners. I thought that Fishee's entry was an entirely stunning photograph of a usually very jumpy species; I'm surprised it didn't win. I'm still somewhat at a loss when it comes to deciding what sort of photo will appeal across the voting membership. My entry this month was almost an afterthought, simply to join in - I didn't dream that it would attract any attention. On a number of other occasions, when I thought I may be in with a shout, my efforts ended up way down the field. Funny old world.....

Tony M.

Frankly, it's because Nigel's 1 level higher than other regular competitors. I was rather surprised that somebody almost jumped him over (Although he wasn't my 100% fav. in August.)

That Small Copper is technically far better than the rest, or am I only one who see it so?

I also noticed he's usually choosing rather scarcer species, which might turn to be a good move (Ain't from Britain, but I presume Clouded Yellow, Red Admiral and Small Heath to be widely pretty common and less-attractive as a photo target!)

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

Each of us sees different things in an image and so what might appeal to one person might not appeal to another. And rightly so. Technical brilliance and scarcity of subject are just 2 of many factors!

Cheers,

- Pete

Pete Eeles wrote:We've been around this loop several times. For those that weren't part of that debate, it was decided that the total number of points is the fairest mechanism.

Otherwise, for example, a person getting a single vote of 10 points (average = 10.0) would beat someone getting 100 votes of 10 points and 1 vote of 9 points (average 9.99).

Cheers,

- Pete

I appreciate that this has been discussed before but the voting patterns show that all photos receive many votes so the example given just does not happen.

I am never likely to win whichever way you do it, so here's a neutral view. An average would be fine if everyone voted for every photo - but they don't. You could of course deem that if someone only votes for (say) ten out of a total twelve entries, they are in reality awarding "nul points" to the other two. Therefore in working out the average, you would divide the total score by twelve, not ten. This should give you the same result as using total points. To my mind, by not voting at all for a given entry, you are effectively awarding it a zero.

I hope this makes sense...

Dave

Ian your argument that the average rating is fairer does not stand up. Because the first time someone earns more points then everyone else, but does not win, we will have the counter argument.

Regards Gruditch

As my long-suffering wife Sally has reminded me there is a danger of taking things too seriously!
Either way of deciding which photographs are best has its pros and cons. There are some very good photographs each month from a number of photographers. It should be fun for all concerned and once the winning or not of a competition becomes paramount then we may as well all pack up.
Colin Varndell, a nature photographer whom I admire greatly, refused to have competitions in a new camera club he set up as it breeds too many wrong attitudes and often over-competititeveness. I sympathise with him.
I am pleased to see such consistently good photos each month and if someone apart from me likes my entry that is a bonus.