Butterfly shots - something bothers me

[Scottes]

Two shots from the other day:

http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Butterfly_7838.jpg

I think this one bothers me because of the smaller butterfly on one side with the large dropping bud on the other. But I'm not sure.


http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Butterfly_7828.jpg

This one was better cropped for 8x10 because of a couple distracting elements, but I'm still not sure that it works.


I think they're both OK, but I'm wondering if the flower is just too busy for the butterfly.

Comments?

[tommykjensen]

I think both a beutiful. And way better than a single white butterfly I tried to catch today.

#1 the bud doesn't bother me but maybe the problem (if any) is that the butterfly is very dark and almost blend in with the background.

[jim jam]

Ithink the second pic has better balance to it.nice shot! :)

[who10]

The second shot really draws me into the subject, wonderful composition - both are very striking in their beautiful color and detail; but with number one my eyes just aren't sure where to start or where to conclude..

Great shots Scottes.... David

[c0ntr0lz]

i agree with jim and who
2=better setup

[jim monroe]

I think you hit the nail on the head with your comment about maybe the flower is too much for the butterfly if you want this to be a shot of the butterfly.
For me I'm not sure if this is a butterfly shot with flower or a shot of a flower with butterfly.
That said is it necessary to have one dominate? probably but rules are made to be broken they say so perhaps not always.

[Scottes]

Looking at the comments makes me think it's a couple of things - the butterfly is too dark against the background, but even if that were fixed the flower is simply too overpowering.

Not too bad for my first wild butterfly - but then again I've had a lot of practice in butterfly houses so "first" is not so accurate, in a way.

Thanks for the comments folks!

[Sendide]

the second one is nice, but the flower (s) is more as a sbject than the butterfly which I find little bit out of focus, maybe if you had chosen another angle it could bring the butterfly more in perspective.
neverthless, lovely shots
regards
Khalid

[Scottes]

Yep, good points.

But I wish I could have gotten to another angle! I was on a 1-foot-wide path in a mini-jungle. The only other angle I could get would have been to get closer to the ground.

But it's a great point and I will remember it for next time. Sometimes you forget silly little stuff like this when you're trying for the picture...

[Aylwin]

Both nice shots. I agree with Khalid's comments though. And I'm not particularly fond of the flower either. I just the think the bud on the right looks a bit strange. Or actually I think it's the whole flower. Maybe it's the fact that it's facing downwards instead of up. :roll:

[Big_B]

I think they're both OK, but I'm wondering if the flower is just too busy for the butterfly.


Nice photos but I think you are right about the flower. Perhaps you should have asked him to move to another :lol:

[Myrmecos]

These aren't butterfly shots. They are shots of a flower that incidentally happen to have a butterfly in them. I think you can make this a butterfly shot by moving in close enough so that the insect is very clearly in the foreground and occupying a greater portion of the frame. It'd help to catch him with the wings spread open, too. If you still want to get the full flower in the frame, a wide-angle shot could be a great effect, with the butterfly spreading into the foreground and the flower and surrounding vegetation receeding into the background.

Just my two cents....

Alex
www.myrmecos.net

[chartbin]

From a novice point of view, I agree with Myr...

I noticed the flower then looked for the insect. Beautiful photo in any case.

[PhotosGuy]

It'd help to catch him with the wings spread open, too.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

See my post at:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=39415