www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I have a head ache, after trying to choose only three photos from all those excellent entries.
I have voted for my favourites, but it was so hard - well done all for some fantastic Photography.

I agree, wow so many entries!!

I thought we would be voting for each category though. I cant see anyone voting for photos in the immature stages section.

If I'd known I would have posted all my photos for the Butterflies in the UK section...

I partially agree with you Wayne - in that maybe voting should be for each category separately (since the only voting is across all photos - so it doesn't really matter which category you're entered in). However, the other side of the coin is then ... how do you pick an overall winner?

If I had 5 prizes to give away then it would be feasible - so maybe next year I'll make a plea for more prizes Or maybe remove the categories altogether? Anyway - we'll see how we get on this year first!

Also, should any categories fail to attract sufficient votes (i.e. any at all!) this year, then I'll elicit the help of external individuals that will then act as a panel to conduct the voting.

Cheers,

- Pete

I've just had great fun going through some superb pictures and I've narrowed my choice down to six - I need more time to get down to my final three!!
It is interesting to note that in the UK section, 50 species were represented in the 263 photographs. Of these 263, more than half (137) were photos of just six species. Peacock had 41 entries, Painted Lady 28,Red Admiral 23, Common Blue 19, Comma 16 and Small Tortoiseshell 10. Are these then our most photogenic butterflies and in that order?
Surprise omissions to me were - only 1 White Admiral, no Orangetip uppersides (notoriously difficult to photograph well), no Camberwells.
However, a great competition. Well done, Pete, must have taken a great deal of organisation and time.
Alex.

Thanks Alex. And nice summary! I'm pretty sure the spread of species is simply down to:

a) the "availability" of species (i.e. it's easier to photograph a Red Admiral in your garden, than it is to travel somewhere to photograph a White Admiral)

b) the fact that this is a photography competition and that the best shots, from a photography point of view, are more-likely to be those of species that you've managed to take more photos of.

Of course, an artistic and unusual shot of a rarity would be a great combination

Although I do have to say that I think the Peacock is one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet.

Cheers,

- Pete

What beautiful photos...

I think the photographs are absolutely amazing. It took absolutely ages to choose my votes and then I couldn't be sure until I had gone through them all one more time.

I do think that the voting structure could possibly be improved, and here is my modest suggestion:

At the point that Pete has all the entries in, he allocates votes that are specific to each category and (very roughly) proportional to the number of entries in each category. In this year's contest, you might have:

4 votes for UK butterflies
2 or 1 for overseas
1 for each of immature, under 16 and behaviour

So when you get to the voting form you would see a rather more complicated arrangement of votes for each category, rather than just 3 votes.

the key advantages of this (I think) is that a) it makes each voter look at each category and so we get votes in all categories and b) like is competing with like so to speak.

The main disadvantage that I have thought of is that you cannot get an overall winner unless you add a vote for that. But maybe that would work rather well.

Any comments? Is the explanation understandable?

Sorry I took so long to post this Pete.

No worries - and thanks Tim!

Since this is the first competition to be run, clearly I'm learning! As it happens, I applied a similar technique to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight BC branch competition, that I also ran, along with Roger Buchanan.

My thoughts are pretty much in line with you Tim, for next year! First off, visitors need to be able to vote for their top 3 in *every* category. Secondly, they need to be able to vote for the overall winner as a separate item.

So ... since the votes are pretty much in, I think the only sensible way forward (which is what I did at the BC branch meeting also) is to allocate the winners for each category (pretty easy) and then calculate the overall winner based on the proportion of entries in each category.

I shall, unfortunately, also have to elicit the help of external judges in order to validate the overall winner. But I believe that this will simply be a "sanity check" looking at the results to date.

Cheers,

- Pete

...or how about just having one category announced in the spring, so we can all run off and try and produce something for that category and have our efforts judged in the autumn?

Yeah - a category called "Photos by people called Pete" sounds good

Seriously - I like this idea but maybe in a slightly different guise. Perhaps a series of "mini" competitions on a month-by-month basis, where "hibernators" could be the first subject, run in March, "the first emergence" for April etc. etc. Just a thought.

Cheers,

- Pete

Hibernators. I like that. I've got loads of pretty good comma jpgs.
Such an approach may also push members to seek out other forms apart from the imago to photograph.

Oooooh voting closes today!

Pete when are we likely to see the results?

Midnight, tonight

I kid ye not.

Cheers,

- Pete

...I'll set my alarm!

Another improvement Pete, which I haven't mentioned before now in case other people hadn't noticed, is that I think the competition should be anonymous! Currently you can see who submitted the photos in the task bar when you hover the mouse over the picture... an oversight, I'm sure!

I wouldn't want people not to vote for my pics just because I'm enviously young and handsome!

Yeah - you weren't supposed to notice that

Thanks Chris!

Cheers,

- Pete

Just like to congratulate all the winners - absolutely brilliant photographs and each one fully deserving of it's placing - well done!!!!!!!
Also huge thanks to Pete for arranging the whole thing which must have taken a lot of time, hope you realise how much it's appreciated!!!!!!
Anyway here's looking forward to the next photo comp, although my shots are barely worthy of entering I've still enjoyed the whole process.

Well said, Dave. My Congratulations too to the winners for some superb pictures. Well done, Pete, for all your time and effort - it's been great fun!!
Alex.

Big Congratulations to the winners and rightly deserved. Well done all.

A big thanks to Pete and everyone who too the time & effort to enter!

2nd place! Wooooo!

congratulations to all the winners and well done to everyone who entered look forward to more of the same in the future