Tiger Swallowtail

[Allen Sparks]

Canon 7D, 70-200 IS II, 2x TC III, monopod
ISO 400, f10, 1/160s

From this past summer. I thought showing the color and texture of the plants was interesting but doing that leaves the subject centered. Would be interested in opinions of cropping options or leaving as is. This is the full image, uncropped.

[Dennis Bishop]

I really think this looks pretty good, as is. Maybe it's because there's a lot of color, and -- as a whole -- that's it's toward the left that I don't mind the butterfly being centered. Also, it's oriented diagonally.

Just to see what would happen, I extended the canvas to the right so the butterfly really wouldn't be centered. To decide how far to go, I made the new proportions match the golden rectangle. I didn't spend a lot of time trying to hide the extension. Just added some brush strokes with a soft low opacity brush in various shades of green and in a couple directions to the method cited by Richard Peters in the Tutorials & Educational Resources forum.

[Julie Kenward]

Allen, I think you did very well here with your composition. The top left wing feels a tiny bit close to the frame but it still very much works because of it's overall tightness. I like what Dennis did but think if you add to the right side you really should add a bit more up along the top, too, to balance out the frame.

Lovely, intense colors - it really captures your initial attention! I also love how in focus the butterfly is from top to tail. He's in good condition, too, so that makes it even more of a pleasure to look at.

[Arthur Morris]

Dennis's repost improved the COMP a lot for me. A bit more on the top would not hurt. I love the mix of colors and textures and the soft light. The big bummer for me is that the forewings and the swallowtail tips are worn..... All in all you did well. Do you have more room in the ORIG?

[Allen Sparks]

Thank you all for the comments and thanks for the repost Dennis - gives me a good option to think about.
Arthur, what I originally posted was the full image, uncropped so I have no more room other than adding canvas.

[Jerry van Dijk]

Hi Allen, wonderful specimen and I like the structure the flowers add. Both crops work for me, but the repost gives a bit more empty space, which makes the image less busy to the eye. That sliver on the top may be a good idea.

[Arthur Morris]

Thank you all for the comments and thanks for the repost Dennis - gives me a good option to think about. Arthur, what I originally posted was the full image, uncropped so I have no more room other than adding canvas.

Thanks for the info. Framing a bit looser in the field would have been the ticket.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Allen. The butterfly gave you a great pose with the spread wings and diagonal orientation in the frame. Also, you have very nice light, exposure, and sharpness. With all the flower stems, this would be a tricky one to crop. I like what Dennis did with the repost and I think this would be the way to go to improve this image - given that the OP is full frame. Overall, this is very nicely done.

[Ken Childs]

Hey Allen, she gave you the perfect pose and you did a great job of capturing it! The light is good and she looks nice and sharp. I also prefer Dennis' repost with the added canvas.

This looks good as is and I know you like to keep things looking natural but if this were mine, I'd do some clean-up on the wings. Using a soft brush at about 20% opacity, grab some black and darken up those faded areas and then repair any tears. If you feel like practicing your cloning and masking skills, try removing the plants on both side of the butterfly, leaving only the one it's perched on.

[PRABIR BHATTACHARYYA]

Allen, a very fine job. The compo can be improved, as suggested by Dennis. The colors have come out beautifully and the beauty of the butterfly has been captured very well. Is it possible to isolate the background in post processing a bit, with regard to color and brightness so that the butterfly stands out a little more? just a thought.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

I really didnt mind the comp in op and the detail is very nice