Common Blue

[Jonathan Ashton]

Canon 7D Canon 180mm macro & polariser ISO 500 1/250 sec f6.3

This is usually one of our common summer butterflies, last year there were only six on my patch, this is the only one of two I have seen this year. This summer looks as though it will be equally wet as last year so I reckon this spells disaster for butterflies around here.

All comments welcome.

[Anita Bower]

Beautiful! Love the detail and the colors. Also, the angled stem. and blurred bg. Is it the weather that is decreasing these butterflies, or other factors?

[Ken Childs]

I love the 'fly and the perch, Jon! I think a slight levels adjustment to brighten it up would take this up a notch or 2 and a slice off the left and if you have the canvas, a bit more on the right and bottom might improve this already very nice shot. It couldn't hurt to try and selectively sharpen the back antenna, too.

[Fabs Forns]

Sweet! I feel I can touch the texture in the moth's wings. Very nice BG and perch too, way to go.

[Jonathan Ashton]

I love the 'fly and the perch, Jon! I think a slight levels adjustment to brighten it up would take this up a notch or 2 and a slice off the left and if you have the canvas, a bit more on the right and bottom might improve this already very nice shot. It couldn't hurt to try and selectively sharpen the back antenna, too.
I see what you are referring to Ken, I do have another image at a smaller aperture but still the antenna is OOF, I chose this shot for the reason that it is ISO 500 the other is ISO 800 though I must admit I cannot see any difference on a screen.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Jonathan,
I may have wanted the angle slightly more angled towards us.....but everything else looks right on on my monitor.

[Julie Kenward]

I agree with Roman - a bit more to the right and it would have been perfection! It's so beautiful as is, though - love the texture and the sharpness of the eye.

I was also wondering about your comment about the wet spring - is that why I'm having trouble finding butterflies this year? It's been extremely wet here, also...

[Mike Moats]

Hey Jonathan, I like it, great details, light, color, and BG. I don't mind the framing as is.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks very much everyone for your comments, I have only just recently tried the 7D for macro - I have been using my 50D until now. I must admit I am very pleased with the relatively high ISO images. I attach a shot at ISO 800 at f8.
Anita, Julie ithink the major problem here is the very hot early spring which brings the larvae onwards followed by the relatively cold wet late spring/early summer. The adults don't have a great deal of time to forage and find a mate and then when they do I suspect a lot of the eggs are destroyed by wet weather. Fingers crossed I think there is a brighter weekend coming up (I guess I am atypical Englishman - always moaning about the weather!!)

[sandy richards]

The original is nice; the re-post excellent!
Great colors, detail, perch, comp and now it "pops"!

Way to go -

Sandy r