Pearl Crescent

[Allen Sparks]

Canon 40D, Sigma 150mm f2.8 plus Tamron Pro 1.4x TC, HH
ISO 400, f13, 1/1000s, EC -2/3

Can't wait for Spring....here is one from this past Summer

[Ken Childs]

Hey Allen, the clarity on this looks great and it's nice to see shots of butterflies at this time of year....spring can't get here fast enough for me! I'm wishing that this Crescent was more towards the LR part of the flower or was facing towards the LR....as it is now, the comp feels somewhat unbalanced. I tried playing with other crops but really couldn't find one that worked any better than what you have here. The reds in this seem over-saturated and the overall look is a bit dark. The problem I see with lightening it is that the BG will look too busy. Fortunately, if you are OK with such things, selecting and blurring the BG should be relatively easy because of the even edges of the flower and the 'fly. :S3:

[Julie Kenward]

Ken said what I felt...something's off on the crop/comp because I want that butterfly a little bit lower in the frame for some reason. I also tried several crops but couldn't come up with anything stronger than what you have here. I think you have great detail on the butterfly but do wish for a little more DOF so the top of the flower was a bit sharper. I think I'd also look into pulling back the reds a bit as they are really showing as saturated on the shadow below the BF.

[subhrashis]

You have excellent details on the butterfly! The composition as noted, is awkward, but I think you can try a square crop centered on the flower, and flaunt the tension of having the subject facing out of the fram instead of trying to mask it.
The butterfly's shadow is falling below and merging with the 'fly's head, so if you can bring some separation there in PP, I think the impact of this image would improve. Also agree with other pp suggestions.
Thanks for sharing!

[kostas nianiopoulos]

it doesnt matter if it is a image from the past summer , still a great one , special the orange colors here .. well done !!!

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Allen. You have very nice detail on the butterfly and all the orange color really jumps out at you. There are a number of interesting suggestions above for you to consider and I don't having anything additional to add. Yes, the arrival of spring will be nice - it always is :S3:, but up here I expect we'll still have some snow on the ground 3 months from now. :p

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Allen,
We got 18 inches of snow yesterday......looked great but I have no place left to throw it!.......so this is a nice reminder. I have looked at cropping in tighter.....even cutting some of the flower left and bottom......this helps comp wise for me.....but I may have preferrred tighter but see you already had the TC on! If you go into selective color......play with the red channel taking away some black or adding some cyan......that my help get some more detail in there and tame some of the colors.
Thanks for bringing us some spring into the wintry NE!