Butterfly and Bee photographs

[janet Smith]

I am trying to improve my technique and took these two in the last few days, it was a bit windy so the flowers were rocking a little, and insects moving! What do you think? Advice and comments welcomed...

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa318/JanGlenelg/IMG_0021sharpenedcopy001.jpg
Both taken using Canon 5D + 100mm macro lens f4 1/400


http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa318/JanGlenelg/IMG_0109srgbsharp.jpg
1/1250 f2.8, the butterfly was moving a lot so I went for a fast shutter speed, perhaps would have been better to select a smaller aperture and a bit slower speed.... what do you think?

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

... perhaps would have been better to select a smaller aperture and a bit slower speed.... what do you think?

If anything, the image should be sharp somewhere (unless you go 'artistic'). So short shutterspeeds are inevitable with windy conditions, unless you can shield the wind or fix the flowers with a stick or a 'plamp' like fixture. The only other parameters to play with are ISO and Aperture, so it's a trade off.

The only other thing I find useful under these conditions, is a lens with fast enough AI servo focusing. It'll help to keep the focus where you want it, while you concentrate on composition.

Bart

[janet Smith]

Hello Bart

Thanks for your comments, I enjoyed trying, and will try again later in the week, I'll wait for a wind free day this time!

[Steve Saunders]

Nice work Janet. Some fill-flash helps here as well, but you still need a reasonable shutter speed with flash for butterflies, usually over 1/500sec as the wings flutter slightly from the flash firing.

http://k43.pbase.com/u35/wingnut1/upload/22851082.side13.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/u35/wingnut1/upload/22850799.side4.jpg

[janet Smith]

Hi Steve

Thanks for the encouragement, I like them, and enjoyed the attempt which proved rather hilarious with me running around the garden chasing the butterfly..... not the best way to go about it - but had my husband and son in stitches, it's a wonder I got anything really!!

I can't see the images that you've attached, can you re-attach them?

[Asher Kelman]

Nice work Janet. Some fill-flash helps here as well, but you still need a reasonable shutter speed with flash for butterflies, usually over 1/500sec as the wings flutter slightly from the flash firing.

http://k43.pbase.com/u35/wingnut1/upload/22851082.side13.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/u35/wingnut1/upload/22850799.side4.jpg

Your images wouldnt appear, so I found then, replaced the url and the images then appeared. However, now they don't. I have no idea why not?

Asher

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Your images wouldnt appear, so I found then, replaced the url and the images then appeared. However, now they don't. I have no idea why not?

The URLs are valid if copied to the address bar of IE7, after which they (the locally cached versions) will show in the thread. Some oddity in the OPF code prevents 'deep'-linking?

Bart

[Asher Kelman]

The URLs are valid if copied to the address bar of IE7, after which they (the locally cached versions) will show in the thread. Some oddity in the OPF code prevents 'deep'-linking?

Bart

That's what I have always done if an image does not appear, I replace the url with a fresh one from the bar of my web browser, which in my case is Safari.

Are you saying that if I empty my cache on my Safari copy the correct image will show or this is something we need on our server? I just cleared my cache on my local Safari copy and Steves two images still don't appear!

Bart, glad to have your input!

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

That's what I have always done if an image does not appear, I replace the url with a fresh one from the bar of my web browser, which in my case is Safari.

Are you saying that if I empty my cache on my Safari copy the correct image will show or this is something we need on our server?

No, the reason the images showed up in the thread after you looked up the image by pasting the URL in the browser, is because now you had a local cashed copy of the file which was now correcly displayed by the forum software (on my IE7 browser).

I just cleared my cache on my local Safari copy and Steves two images still don't appear!

That would be consistent with what I described.

To rephrase, at first I got the red x instead of the image. I then copy/pasted the URL of the images directly in the browser and viewed them, which created a local proxy in my internet cache. Now the images also showed in the thread. Conclusion, the originals did not show, the proxies do, there supposedly is something in the handling of URLs as sent by the forum software. Either system, Forum or Pbase, may be blocking 'deep'-linking.

Bart, glad to have your input!

Hope my reasoning helps.

Bart

[Steve Saunders]

Hmmm, they are hosted on PBase and I'm surprised they don't show for long here as they do show on other forums. I'll copy them to my own web space and try again shortly.

[Steve Saunders]

In the meantime, here's a few different ones to tide you over ;-)

http://www.goldwingfacts.com/images/nonWingimages/native1.jpg

http://www.goldwingfacts.com/images/nonWingimages/native2.jpg

http://www.goldwingfacts.com/images/nonWingimages/ButterflyFarm43.jpg

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

In the meantime, here's a few different ones to tide you over ;-)

These beautiful butterflies show up fine (IE7 browser), thanks for sharing.

Bart

[Steve Saunders]

Here's the link to the PBase page with the ones that turned into red X's in my earlier post;

http://www.pbase.com/wingnut1/butterflies__bugs&page=all

[janet Smith]

Beauiful shots Steve, I particularly like the last one, I'll have to have another try myself, it's very difficult isn't it when they're flying around and it's windy!

What camera and lens did you use?

[Steve Saunders]

Thanks Janet. All taken with either the Nikon 105 or 60 micros, on D2X and D1X bodies. Flash used on them all. The top two shots were taken in the local park where there were lots of butterflies around the flowers. Typically, I got about half a dozen shots I was happy with from about 60 that I shot in 10 minutes. You probably already know that May and September are the best months for this, particularly September as you have two generations fluttering around together. Fat chance of it happening this year with all the rain we've had.

[janet Smith]

Hi Steve

Thanks for this information, I only managed to get 8 shots of the butterfly before it flew off. Yes your right about the butterfly numbers we usually have loads on the Buddleja's in my garden at this time of year, but this year very few, also hardly any bees - shame isn't it!