Not as cute as Ray’s friend the squirrel, but I feel pretty proud that I was able to get the shot at all, working one-handed and with no way to preview it at all.
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This guy has a piece out of the wing at the bottom similar to the one we used in a challange a while back. Guess those wings are probably pretty hard to keep in perfect condition.
Barbara, that’s a butterfly not seen anywhere in the US but southern Florida and extreme south Texas: it’s called the Malachite (Siproeta stelenes) and it’s described in Kaufman’s Butterflies of North America as "large, green and spectacular", "unmistakable", and "a feast for the eyes." Thanks for sharing it with us!
Nice shot! I tried to take some "bug" shots today (we’re being over run by Harmonia axyridis -Asian lady beatles) but I can’t get a decent close up with my DC290. What kind of camera are you using?
Barbara, two beautiful shots! Fabulous colors. You must have some secret for attracting these creatures; the Monarchs I’ve been after lately don’t pose for long. Looks like you’re enjoying the new camera. I’ll look forward to seeing more of your work. Barb
Barbara, well you did a fine job of capturing those. I know the frustration of missing the shot you really wanted. Inevitably the camera batteries decide to quit or the card is written to so slowly when shooting TIFF’s, the next shot gets away. Things I’m getting used to…
Thanks for the tip on butterflies…I was out at dusk and they were all scattering.
the camera batteries decide to quit or the card is written to so slowly
Barb, I must say I don’t have either problem with the canon, really. Batteries last pretty nearly a 256 MB card when shooting continuously, although the camera body does get uncomfortably hot. (Makes me think of the 12" powerbook, actually.)
Disk writing is pretty good, too. On my camera I can reduce the amount of preview time for the display of an image and that keeps me going faster.
No, unfortunately, my problem is that I’m just lousy at dealing with cameras that think for themselves. I almost always wind up with the focus sharp as a tack, but focused on the twig across the foreground or the grass in the background or whatever. Or I think I’m shooting in macro mode, but somehow I’ve gone to inifinity mode, yada yada.
My other problem is that I have a very hard time framing shots with this camera. I’ve never had trouble with this with my old camera, but now I have a whole gallery of almost-good photos with the edges of the subject cut off. Pooh.
Barbara, that is absolutely wonderful ! Did you know if a butterfly/moth lands on you it means you will be going through a transformation soon ? It’s generally one of goodness that comes in many different forms. Perhaps your job will lead you in a direction that will open new and exciting doors or it could just mean a wonderful new friend will enter your life…could be anything but it’s a good thing. From the book of animal spirit guides of Native Americans.
My other problem is that I have a very hard time framing shots with this
camera.
Barbara,
Are you using the optical view finder? My experience with it is that the image turns out to be larger than what I see in the view finder. I consider this an advantage because I like to have the extra space for cropping.
Barbara, I know that "warm" camera feel too. My batteries also last about one 256 card, but they often run down when a shot’s about to vanish. I have four sets now, two charging units and three 256 cards. This camera stuff really starts addin’ up fast, still can’t figure out what photo printer to get. About framing the subject, when shooting Macro, the LCD should be used to compose the image, the viewfinder cannot be used because of parallax (the apparent displacement of an object as seen from two different points that are not on a line with the subject).
Barbara, I’m sure you know this, but you really have to use the LCD for the macro shots – the parallax error created by using the viewfinder for close-ups will almost surely push image off center on the sensor with respect to what you see in the viewfinder.
Hi, Chuck. Yes, that’s what I was saying–even though I do, the image still doesn’t exactly correspond. Annoying when I’m trying to shoot macros, since I don’t dare get close to the subject for fear of truncating it.
Jodi, you know it’s funny about butterflies. When I lived in Ft. Lauderdale I used to take all my out of town vistors to Butterfly World, and they always either thought it was magical or they were totally creeped out by it.
Barbara, I had a few experiences like that, then decided that a 4 megapixel camera has enough pixels to sustain a moderate amount of cropping and still yield a good print; I leave a little sacrificial border around the picture to ensure that I don’t lose some important content.
I’m sure glad to hear you say that-leave a little border that is. I normally do that to be sure I have the whole picture I want. I received what I perceived as criticism a while back for saying I cropped most pictures. I should compose the picture with the camera I remember being told. Maybe I am just being too sensitive. Its that pea under the mattress that’s causing all the problems I guess.
Carl, it’s definitely been trial-and-error, and nearly full circle, for me. First, I decided that since I could crop with Elements, the composition didn’t matter – but then I found that if you cropped too much, there weren’t enough pixels left over to make a decent print. Then, I went to the other extreme and filled the frame with image – then learned that if I cropped to meet a standard size (4×6, 8×10, etc.) I had to sacrifice part of the image. Finally, I learned that a little bit of extra as a border is the best compromise. So that’s what I do….unless I forget…because of lack of sleep because of that pea under the mattress…
Hi Barbara, Your pictures are wonderful! I much prefer butterflys to squirrels, but all the pictures are neat. I lived in Ft. Lauderdale all thru my high school years, on our family’s boat in Bahia Mar. Great place! My brother and I had some wonderful times there. However my parents would rather have stayed in the Keys. I do have pictures of those times, just have to find them, they are here,,,,,somewhere. Great memories, great place. The birds and wildlife we saw going back and forth on the Inland Waterway back then was wonderful. Thanks for jogging my memory, will have to start to unpack the boxes of family pictures this year. Jane
BARBARA B, What a pretty butterfly but then I think they are all good looking. It’s your photo sense that makes this one special. I miss my old Nikon camera with the telephoto and close up lenses. I never did get new ones for my new camera and have none for this little digital. Hope soon to change all that! Marty
Great pictures, Barbara. You’re good at getting them to pose.
Ladybugs are suddenly a big issue here. They’re in the kitchen and the car, and I must’ve eaten a few dozen on my bike ride the other day! They must be hibernating for the winter or something.
Here’s a tip I learned for taking bug pictures, but you have to be careful with them so you don’t hurt the bug (unless you really want to do so after you’re done).
Catch the bug (be it a butterfly or ladybug or whatever) and set it in a glass jar in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes. Bugs are cold blooded, and so they slow down considerably as the temp drops. Don’t freeze them, just make it cool enough that they move slowly. Then set them on whatever you want to shoot against and they will slowly warm back up and scurry away uninjured.
Bugs with wings, like butterflies, will open their wings wide if there’s sunshine to warm up quickly. This works will for you the photographer.
As always, but respectful of life, (especially if it bites or stings) but you can get your shot and do no harm. Everyone’s happy.
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