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Thoas Swallowtail & repost
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Thoas Swallowtail & repost

by Barb Pflaum

Gallery: Macro & Close-upPosted July 24, 201398 views6 comments
I took this image in the butterfly tent at the botanic gardens.

I'm not sure about the bg. I know it's busy, but I enjoy seeing the bf in the midst of the beautiful flowers.

Canon 60D, 70-300 IS lens at 140mm, f/8, 1/640 sec., ISO 800.

Comments

6 comments
Comment posted by scott lanz on July 24, 2013 at 9:46 PM
Nicely composed for the flowers and the beautiful BF, Barb. Yes, the bg is a bit busy, but still a fine image of this magnificent Swallowtail.
Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments
Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on July 26, 2013 at 8:18 PM
I think the cone flowers and the Swallowtail command enough presence that the admittedly busy BG has little effect.
Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments
Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on July 26, 2013 at 8:36 PM
Nicely detailed capture of this butterfly, Barb. Those coneflowers surely are butterfly magnets! :smile: The colors of the background work well with the butterfly and you caught a terrific pose. Yes, the background is somewhat busy but if the background could be darkened a bit, it might help it feel less distracting and busy. Just a thought to try. . .
Registered on February 16, 2011, 610 Posts, 3684 Comments
Comment posted by Barb Pflaum on July 27, 2013 at 10:25 AM
Thank you, everyone, for your comments. Carolyn, your suggestion to darken the bg inspired me to try a vignette help the bg seem less busy. I used Color Efex Pro 4 to add a green vignette to the image and then used a layer mask to erase the vignette on the flower in the upper left hand corner.
Registered on January 14, 2009, 316 Posts, 2724 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on July 27, 2013 at 2:00 PM
Great look at this bf, with tip to tip sharpness in the wings. I do like the darkened background in the repost. I also think that cropping from the top to eliminate the center of the flower head in the upper left removes a background element that pulls attention away from the bf. I think the rest of the background works well.
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by John Tobias on July 30, 2013 at 8:23 PM
Nicely done Barb, but maybe just a bit darker in the lighter areas on its wings, if possible. I get the feeling that some detail is missing. Still, a fine photograph. Thanks for sharing.
Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments