Copper2

[OvidiuCavasdan]

40D, EF 100mm Macro
F/10
1/250sec
ISO 400
Natural light, manual mode, HH.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Another very nice image, I would be tempted to lower the highlights a little though.

[Julie Kenward]

I think I'm with Jonathan on this one, Ovidiu...it's just a hare too bright. Lovely butterfly image - I wish I knew your secret for getting them to perch on pretty things!

[Jonathan Ashton]

Jules the best timeto capture butterfly images is usually the most inconvenient time, ie. early morning or later evening. They are much less active then. The problem is you very often don't notice them at this time - you have to develop an eye as it were. Currently dawn is 5.30 - 6.00hr in UK so from then until about 9 to 9.30hr is good and also at about 19.00hr. That is not to say the rest of the day is no good, in fact they are more apparent in the warmer sun but then you have to do more following. Another approach is to settle near a clump of flowers that looks popular with insects and just sit and wait, then move slowly and deliberately, thinking intuitively which is the best height and angle etc. so you effectively point and shoot straight away.

[OvidiuCavasdan]

Jonathan is right about "the technique" and timing. Usualy I go out sundays and I prefer to shoot early in the morning because of the less harsh light and because I spend the afternoons/evenings with wife and son.
Usualy I look for BF among grass/plants but did not notice them every time. So, when I get too close they fly away and I follow at a distance waiting for them to settle again. Then carefully approach and get low at bf level before I am close to them. I do the final approach at low level. Getting low when close to the BF usualy make him fly away, at least that's my experience. There is a time frame in the morning, about one or two hours long when they fly for short distance and when settle they do it with the wings closed. Later they like to warm in the sun with the wings opened. But in the case of these tiny BF most of the time they do it with the wings opened at an angle so never managed to get a good image because of dof issue.
There is no "secret", just patience, searching carefully the area and... luck. Sometimes they land on a nice perch with good/decent BG, other times no matter what I do, it takes a long time until I get a keeper, or even return home without a good image.
Lately the wind was the biggest issue here, sometimes, when BF, perch and BG are really nice, I wait, ready to press the shutter, for a few sec with less or no wind.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Ovidiu,
Agree about toning down the brightness.....but an easy fix to an excellent comp!

Thanks to you and Jonathan for sharing you work ethic......this will help me point other to what they need to do in order to capture such wonderful images! People need to see the hard work and dedication needed.....to achieve this kind of result! :cheers::cheers::cheers: to you both for putting in that effort.....and it shows!

[Ken Childs]

I agree with the others that this is just a bit bright but that should be an easy fix to an otherwise great shot.

The problem with the early morning technique is that here in North America, the warm summer we've been having means that the low temperatures at night are not very low. As soon as it's light in the morning, the butterflies are active and wary. Autumn isn't far off and this year, I'm really looking forward to it!

[Roman Kurywczak]

Even in NJ this year Ken....too hot! Baking in Miami currently but with the t-storms.....just staying inside!

[Steve Maxson]

I really like the comp, sharpness, and background on this one, Ovidiu. To my eye, the brightness looks OK, but perhaps a bit darker would be even better. Thanks to you and Jonathan for sharing your techniques. :) Well done.

[OvidiuCavasdan]

Thank you all for comments and suggestion.

[Mike Moats]

Hey Ovidiu, I think the image brightness looked fine, but I'm viewing on my little netbook. It all looks perfect, good comp, nice details and BG. well done.

[Art Kornienko]

I would have preferred to have seen more of the perch if another comp was possible. I guess it wasn't possible with this shot.