Butterfies

[lesno1]

1




2

[lovelife65]

Very nice images, although to my eyes (maybe I'm getting old and need them checked) the butterflies seem a little out of focus. I am not a macro person, but for both I may have blurred the leaves a bit more. Again, I am far from a macro person, and an amateur at best overall .
The butterflies are beauties!.

[Wavelength]

Very nice pair of images

[Geoff F]

Unless you can get exactly the best angle for butterflies some part will be out of focus; but the heads are sharply focused in both shots.

[lesno1]

Thanks for clearing that up Geoff

[bnnrcn]

I'm not experienced in shooting butterflies at all but I don't think it is easy Les. After reading Geoff's comment I enlarged the images in lightbox to see the heads in focus. #1 seems sharper and clearer. Adding some structure to the wings might work fine but it is difficult to say without seeing . Nice trials anyway

[Shadowman]

Nice set.

[John 2]

Unless you can get exactly the best angle for butterflies some part will be out of focus; but the heads are sharply focused in both shots.

Slight left turn but I sometimes (but not always) find that even when I shoot from directly above everything except the area directly behind the head is sharp. It's almost as if that area is vibrating, perhaps as a cooling mechanism. Is it just me or is there an explanation.

[Geoff F]

Manual or auto focus, John? I always use manual to get those areas sharply focused. And when possible, take a second shot with a slightly different focus point to produce a focus merged image.

[John 2]

Good point Geoff. The answer is autofocus. I will have to try manual and see if it makes a difference - if I see a butterfly that is. The Buddleia is in full bloom but not a butterfly in sight.

[James G]

Geoff's point about manual is particularly relevant when there is even the slightest breeze. I almost always take several exposures too. I'd never really thought about it til now, but 'top down' focus does often result in a soft are behind the head/thorax and has frustrated me.

[John 2]

It's a strange one but in my haste to make a "slight left turn", I failed to comment on your images Les. A nice series. Don't know whether they were all taken at the same time in the same place but compared to around here you seem to have ample subject matter.

[lesno1]

Thanks guys some interesting comments here . Yes John all same time same place and using AF im now using back button focusing (not all the time) and loving it so fast well worth trying

[IzzieK]

My preference in the poses is in #2...almost always the mouth of the butterfly is eating something but that one has its head up. Good one!