Peek-a-boo!

[Ken Childs]

Canon EOS REBEL T1i
Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro
Manual mode
1/500"
F16
ISO:400
Canon 430EX w/lightbox attached: On, Fired @ 1/8
LR & CS3
HH

I'm not sure about how to handle the flower. Recently I've received critiques that the flower was too sharp and distracted from the butterfly and comments that the butterfly looked good but the flower wasn't sharp enough. :confused:

[Anita Bower]

Sometimes you can't win. :D Love the blue sky. I think there is too much flower-- I'd remove about 1/2 of it, then the focus would be on the butterfly peaking over.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Great shot Ken I like it very much, I think Anita has a point, the flower does dominate a little so perhaps a crop would help - what d'ya reckon?

[Jerry van Dijk]

Ken, I think this is an amazing composition! Wouldn't change a bit! The flower adds symmetry to the frame and is sufficiently out of focus not to distract from the butterfly. What makes this one different from your previous posts is that there is no stem in the frame, which would add another structure and color, creating more distraction. What also helps is that we only see half of the flower. I'm not in favour of removing more of the flower like Anita suggests, I like that the lowest petals are now parallel to the frame edge.
To my taste, the head of the butterfly is sharpened a bit too much.

[kostas nianiopoulos]

an anuseal angle but a good one , well done !!!

[Julie Kenward]

That angle is killer, Ken! What did you have to do to get it? I want to hear the details!

I am unsure of the flower. I don't think it's so much that it's too much in or too much out but I don't seem to care for the magenta as it fights with the orange to me. But...don't let that stop you from thinking you didn't get a wonderful image...you most certainly did! I think because of the color issue, I'd cut down the flower size and see what you think.

I also think the head is a bit too oversharpened...it feels like how Joan Rivers looks after all her plastic surgery. (Okay, maybe not THAT bad but it does feel a little "fake".) Back down just a bit and I think you'll be right where it needs to be.

[Ken Childs]

I was taking macro shots of Skippers when this Gulf Fritillary landed on the Zinnia right above me. When I'm shooting with the 100-400, I can't get angles like this because I need to be at least 6 feet away but with the macro, I just pointed up and shot away.

I tried with less flower but then it didn't tell the story I wanted to relate with the title. There needed to be something big for the butterfly to be peeking around. I'll just have to try and get a similar shot with a different color flower. :)

I think it's funny that the head looks oversharpened. I did a tiny bit on the eyes but the rest of the head is the only part of the butterfly that I didn't apply any extra sharpening to!

[Mike Fuhr]

Looks like Rodan from the old monster movies. I agree with Anita on the crop -- I think that would solve the issue from both sides!

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Ken,
Agree with the crop (just above the petal....shaped like an upside down U on the lower frame edge.....about 7:30 position) and about the sharpening.....does loook funky on this end......but I love the perspective and the peek over the top. Yeah.....a little battle worn.....but for me that just adds to the image!

[Steve Maxson]

I like the different viewpoint here, Ken, as well as the mix of bright colors. I'm OK with the crop, as presented, as it leaves some room for the "virtual body" of the butterfly.

[Jerry van Dijk]

Hi Ken, funny indeed about the sharpening! Maybe it's due to the high contrast (due to use of flash?). Lowering the contrast may give a less "sharpened" look.

[Adrian David]

I like it as presented.Nice colors and shot angle.

[Allen Sparks]

Very nice image and I like the crop as is.

[Vida van der Walt]

Beautiful image Ken! Wonderful colours and great angle, comp, sharpness.:)