Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

Usually, while on a hike, I am looking for wildlife. This means I have a bigger lens mounted on my camera -- a lens not normally suited to butterflies. A floating butterfly is tough enough to get, but trying to follow a floating butterfly with a big, heavy lens is liable to cause whiplash. Still, an opportunity does present itself, occasionally.

This California Sister seemed to be posing for me, so I managed to get a few shots before it took off. This butterfly is predominantly black, and the background was quite dark, as well. I usually see butterfly pictures with a brighter background, which shows off the butterfly's colors. In those shots, the color is the story. In this shot, the butterfly almost melts into the background. To me, this creates a different mood, and the mood is the story, rather than the colors being the story. I think this shot is more about serenity than about the butterfly.

I should say that I tend to prefer shots that are on the darker side of bright. I love shade and shadows. I like shots such as this one, but I suspect there are a host of folks who would say this one doesn't have enough color or contrast. (The butterfly refused to listen to my suggestions for a different location, anyway.)

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Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida

This is a really beautiful shot. Yes, the background is dark. Fortunately the butterfly is slightly less dark and easy to see. It isn't so much a "pop" as a gentle rendition. I like it very much. Good work.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

too bad it wasn't facing you - But then you wouldn't have had the back of the wings like that! I really like how it is framed against darkness and thank you for sharing your thoughts/thinking. The image stands on its own, but I sure like it when I can have the story of how it happened.

I can feel the subject matter - the peace of it. The shapes, patterns, composition, all of it is soothing to me. Love the DOF. A negative from me about this image is that the waxiness/shine of the leaves at bottom right steals too much. I think I also tend to like darker images with a splash of light.

Well done and welcome to FYC!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

A beautiful shot, Anvil! Key points for me:

Emotion - I agree with your feeling that this image is about serenity. Butterflies are such delicate, gentle beauties to begin with, and this shot showcased all that.

Light - I think the dark background actually enhances the colors of the butterfly. Maybe it's because we have to work a little harder to see all the details, but the overall rich color, with the pops of orange and white, are very appealing to me.

Composition - I love the square crop. This seems to be the perfect balance of subject and surroundings. I wonder if it's possible to slightly blur or tone down the leaf to the butterfly's right? It does seem to want more of my attention than I'd like to give it.

"What's important in a photography" taken from:
http://photographylife.com/whats-important-in-a-photograph-and-what-isnt

Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

Thanks for your comments.

It seems that the bright green leaves might be seen as a distraction, by some. To me, they form sort of a half-frame around the butterfly -- a tilted bowl, if you will, in which the butterfly sits. I thought the bright green leaves set off the butterfly, somewhat akin -- but only somewhat -- to backlighting. I actually think that is what attracted me to that butterfly, in the first place -- how the bright leaves contrasted with the darker background and the dark butterfly.

I can, however, see how the lower right leaf, in particular, could be distracting, so I muted the green leaves, but just a little. I like their brightness, so I just tried to get rid of the glare.

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pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

Edit -- seeing the change I have to agree with you. I am liking the original better and think that your instinctual gut feeling was on target.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I'm so glad you posted this and explained your viewpoint. You are absolutely right! Thank you Anvil

Frank2013 Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.

With Anvil's permission.....You have a wonderful shot here. Eliminating some of the back ground distraction and the formation of a bit of diagonal through the frame I believe adds some impact to your subject.

(Download)

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

This is fascinating, Frank. The diagonal and flip are super-appealing, though I still like the darker exposure of Anvil's.

And look how we have learned and shared ideas, open and with respect, even with the threat of "censorship" looming over us :)

Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

I can see what you were getting at, making the butterfly stand out, but by removing much of the environmental artifacts, it looks as if the environment is fake. The branch is kind of disembodied. I prefer the butterfly smaller, and part of its environment.

I'm also not sure what was gained by flipping it. The wing and the leaf had already formed a diagonal.

Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to you doing things to my photo, I just preferred the original. (No censorship, here, either.)

To tell you the truth, I never figured this simple picture would generate even this much discussion.

Frank2013 Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.

I am glad you called it as yo see it, that's what I asked for and I totally understand your stance. Thank you for letting me display my opinion.

Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

Thanks for taking the time to do it.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

LOL -- it may be simple, but it is BEAUTIFUL.
I am amazed how Different just flipping the image makes it - I also prefer the darker mood - However, I really like the extra detail and form that came out of Frank's processing on the head and body - the wings not so much.

Frank2013 Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.

Anvil...I've pondered your statement a bit. Because of the reading left to right condition and location of dark and light in your image the diagonal is not as prominent in your original. Flip your original as is and the diagonal becomes more apparent from the light lower left leaf up through the bright green right corner.

Anvil Loc: Loveland, CO

I believe you are referring to the primary diagonal -- upper left to lower right -- which is supposed to be a stronger leading line than lower left to upper right. I have read a bit on composition, and I understand what the authors are saying about the primary diagonal, but I must be one of the three or four people in the world for whom that does not hold true. I would not say that, to my eyes, the lower left to upper right diagonal is stronger, but, to my eyes, the two different diagonals have equal weight. When I take landscapes, I always notice the lower left to upper right leading lines before I notice the upper left to lower right lines. (If I'm looking an a graph of investments, a lower left to upper right line is always my friend.)

I am right handed, but I am left eye dominant. I wonder if that confuses me. I actually had to train myself to look through the viewfinder with my right eye. It is much more natural for me to look through it with my left eye, but the camera's layout does not agree with that. I was never destined to be a marksman.