Cooperation - Julia Longwings

[Randy Stout]

This pair was working on the next generation while I visited the local butterfly conservatory last week.

D4 sigma 180 f/3.6 @ f/16 1/200s ISO 800 hand held (no tripods allowed) R1C1 with two heads

Post. Modest crop for comp. Tried a version without the framing leaf at the top, but preferred it with.

Advice and comments appreciated. Hope to get back at least one more time and try some different setups!

Cheers

Randy

[Jonathan Ashton]

I can imagine just how tricky this was, I bet you were just moving a fraction this way then that then the other and your arms and hands were just beginning to shake so you have a small rest and try again, bet you held you breath and then decided not for too long!
I think you have done very well indeed especially without a tripod - have you thought about taking a garden cane with you i.e. a piece of bamboo or a piece of dowelling - or hey this may be construed as cheating but say a walking stick, just brace it against the camera body and lens and then you have a device that will help steady things in one plane at least. I am not implying your image is unsharp it is great but I think a stick sometimes helps. I reckon the angle from which you took the image is about ideal, I sense the twin flashes have perhaps caught one butterfly more than the other, but that could be just an illusion because they are not identical, one being male the other female. I like the leaf at the top, in fact I think it essential. On this image the butterflies are great but I am sorry to say I do have reservations on the almost jet black background. Having said that I find it a very pleasing image to view and can really find very little to fault.

[Randy Stout]

Jon:

Thanks for the comments. Yes, jet black is my least favorite bg for them. I often use an artificial background, but my fellow togs were off working another butterfly, so no one to hold it for this shot, and I didn't want to miss it.

I just bought a mini monopod that goes down to about 12", and I have a belt cup that I can drop it into to help stabilize. I hope they won't give me any grief about it.

Cheers

Randy

[Allen Sparks]

Hi Randy,
Wonderful image IMO. Love the framing of the green leaves and the sharpness, color, tones, and pose of the butterflies is great. Black is not my favorite BG either but this is still a great image. VWD.

Allen

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Randy. Two nice specimens and both very sharp and well lit by the flash. The framing leaf is a nice touch and the black background has already been mentioned (where's a helping hand when you really need one?? :S3:). Overall, this is very well done!