My First Butterfly Attempt: Easier than jumping spiders. Fair focus for first attempt, I think. (12 mph wind) Suggestions welcome.

sford122 Loc: Amarillo TX

Easier than jumping spiders. Fair focus for first attempt, I think. (12 mph wind) Suggestions welcome.

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

Very pretty.

Sarge69 :thumbup: :thumbup:

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Focus is my toughest challenge. The suggestions of FStop 22 & Nikonian have helped-- but today I was out and my 105 was jumping back and forth and wouldn't lock on focus. Finally I went back to manual.

Beautiful butterfly. I might bump the contrast & saturation just a tad.

hangman45 Loc: Hueytown Alabama

Flash likes to wash out the color on butterflies I went into photoshop and used gamma correction to darken it up a little and bumped saturation a little and think it imroved on a nice capture

tramsey Loc: Texas

I think it's just a little soft. If you want some quality help on macro, post it in the macro section and stand back. There are some photographers on that section that are very knowledgeable and very willing to help. They'll take you by the hand and take you to where you want to go :thumbup:

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

Looks pretty good. Good focus on eye. Only way to get whole side of butterfly in focus is to be perfectly squared/same focal plane as subject. In other words the butterfly would be flat to your lens, then the whole side and face would be in focus for the most part. One thing about practicing on the small spiders, when you get a larger subject the focusing is much easier.

sford122 Loc: Amarillo TX

sarge69 wrote:

Very pretty. Sarge69 :thumbup: :thumbup:

Thanks Sarge.

sford122 Loc: Amarillo TX

LoneRangeFinder wrote:

I might bump the contrast & saturation just a tad.

Thanks LoneRangeFinder. Good suggestions.

sford122 Loc: Amarillo TX

hangman45 wrote:

Flash likes to wash out the color on butterflies I went into photoshop and used gamma correction to darken it up a little and bumped saturation a little and think it imroved on a nice capture

Thanks hangman! Please post, if you'd like to.

hangman45 Loc: Hueytown Alabama

sford122 wrote:

Thanks hangman! Please post, if you'd like to.

Not perfect could be a lot better when you do it before any other PP

sford122 Loc: Amarillo TX

tramsey wrote:

I think it's just a little soft. If you want some quality help on macro, post it in the macro section and stand back. There are some photographers on that section that are very knowledgeable and very willing to help. They'll take you by the hand and take you to where you want to go :thumbup:

You are so right tramsey. Thanks. My hands are very warm for all of the help I am getting from them. :)

sford122 Loc: Amarillo TX

hangman45 wrote:

Not perfect could be a lot better when you do it before any other PP

:) Thanks hangman... still very much improved. Here is the original (straight from the camera) if you'd like to try again and then tell me what you did. P.S. I really do like what you did. I can't stop looking at it now.

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

LoneRangeFinder wrote:

Focus is my toughest challenge. The suggestions of FStop 22 & Nikonian have helped-- but today I was out and my 105 was jumping back and forth and wouldn't lock on focus. Finally I went back to manual.

If the wind is blowing it's real tuff for the auto focusing to work. Since your not use to auto focusing in macro I would start several feet away and work your way in. I've learned most of my lens limitations/contrasting/to bright/too dark/to windy. I use manual for insects from time to time. Mostly use manual for flowers as I like to pinpoint a specific spot for DOF. Most flowers are deeper than insects. I tend to shoot mainly in the mornings when little to no breeze, which is a real plus for auto focusing. I can walk away now when conditions are not favorable. I may twitch a little and start making plans for my next time out, but I can walk away.

sford122 Loc: Amarillo TX

fstop22 wrote:

Looks pretty good. Good focus on eye. Only way to get whole side of butterfly in focus is to be perfectly squared/same focal plane as subject. In other words the butterfly would be flat to your lens, then the whole side and face would be in focus for the most part. One thing about practicing on the small spiders, when you get a larger subject the focusing is much easier.

Thanks fstop22. This is why I keep posting, even though my pics have so many flaws. I would not have thought about "squaring off" with my subject to get the whole body in focus. Of course, it makes total sense. I've just been practicing on getting the eyes in focus so long, I did it out of habit. One day, it will all come together, I'm sure.

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

sford122 wrote:

Thanks fstop22. This is why I keep posting, even though my pics have so many flaws. I would not have thought about "squaring off" with my subject to get the whole body in focus. Of course, it makes total sense. I've just been practicing on getting the eyes in focus so long, I did it out of habit. One day, it will all come together, I'm sure.

Mission accomplished on this one

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: