Nicest things to do is finding a butterfly

[Andre]

One of the nicest things to do is finding a butterfly greenhouse and capture the billboard colored creatures. Found these yesterday(most decreased to about 25% size from the original).

 

[berkeman]

Very nice shots, Andre. What's a butterfly greenhouse?

 

[OmCheeto]

We had one come visit us this weekend at the campground.
The girls thought he was a bit drab, so they tried to bling him up.

Or perhaps they were just trying to demonstrate the translucence of his wings.

 

[turbo]

Somebody has been to Mainau, again...

 

[DaveC426913]

Very nice shots, Andre. What's a butterfly greenhouse?

You have never been to a butterfly conservatory? It's way a cool way to spend an hour or two in an afternoon.

Here's a bit of flash that shows one off nicely:
http://www.wingsofparadise.com/"

Usually it's an acre or so of enclosed very humid greenhouse with palm trees and winding paths that go up into the canopy and such. Everywhere you turn there are thosuands of butterflies. They land all over you.

 

[Andre]

butterfly conservatory, good name. Well since it's in a greenhouse with butterflies, a more down-to-earth term seems to impose itselfs. Hope that explains it, berkeman.

Anyway, Turbo, it's not Mainau. I'm no longer in South Germany. It's this one in Luttelgeest, brand new in a part of that "jungle".

Some more:

Bit of a close close up:

the full image:

Note the tiny yellow eggs

 

[Borek]

Mus be a cousin of european Parnassus apollo - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_(butterfly )

 

[turbo]

Congrats on the new shooting opportunity Andre!

 

[lisab]

Wow, those are beautiful shots!

 

[junglebeast]

Andre, those are beautiful!

I like seeing the butterfly naturally on the flowers.

A couple minor suggestions, you might try using an increased shutter speed to cut down on motion blur, and slightly increasing the f-number so that back wings and front wings can both be in complete focus, while still isolating from the background.

 

[Borek]

A couple minor suggestions, you might try using an increased shutter speed to cut down on motion blur, and slightly increasing the f-number so that back wings and front wings can both be in complete focus, while still isolating from the background.

First - I can assure you he knows that

Second - this is not as easy as it may look. I don't know what were parameters of Andre shots, but I know how I took my butterfly pictures that you can locate in wildlife thread. ISO 1600, shutter speed 1/800 sec, aperture 18 - there is not much room for improvement.

 

[arildno]

Ok, these photos are not taken by me, but are of some of those Norwegian butterflies I like best:

(Vanessa cardui)
http://www.okokrim.no/www/okokrim/home.nsf/bilder/sommerfugl.jpg/$FILE/sommerfugl.jpg
(Vanessa atalanta)

(Nymphalis Io)

(Papilio machaon)

(Zygaena viciae)

I used to catch butterflies and moths in my early years.

 

[Borek]

I used to catch butterflies and moths in my early years.

Background is what counts in this picture

 

[rootX]

Beautiful pictures :)

I thought this thread is by some girl about butterflies when I looked at the title.

 

[Borek]

Well, perhaps we can repost here all butterfly pictures posted earlier in wildlife thread?

 

[physics girl phd]

Background is what counts in this picture

As kids, my siblings and I compiled a fairly impressive beetle, butterfly and moth collection too... until some other bugs got to eating it! But I think my brother's spider-collection (in test-tubes of rubbing alcohol) still exists. What memories. Glad the camera exists now. When she's old enough, I'll have to get my kiddo catching pictures... rather than the real thing!

 

[arildno]

Background is what counts in this picture

The front wasn't bad, either.

 

[Borek]

The front wasn't bad, either.

Really? Must be light playing some tricks.

 

[DaveC426913]

How do you train them to stay all lined up like that? Is it feeding time?

 

[lisab]

How do you train them to stay all lined up like that? Is it feeding time?

Quite militant, aren't they?

 

[crazzycat]

what a lovely insects!

 

[DaveC426913]

what a lovely insects!

Hey! He's a human being. With feelings. No matter how lovely.

 

[Andre]

If it's "lovely insects" wouldn't it be "Hey! he are a human beings"?

 

[Andre]

Okay, some more oldies, from Mainau this time.

Didn't know that monarchs liked orchids.

 

[Artman]

I realize the topic is butterflies and not moths, but I saw one of these the other day.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Giant_leopard_moth_20050612_173823_1.1300x1210.jpg"

 

[turbo]

You'll see monarchs on all kinds of flowers, Andre. They lay eggs on milkweed as an adaptation that allows their caterpillars to eat that plant and accumulate toxins that protect the caterpillars and the resultant adults from birds.

 

[physics girl phd]

The transparent wings on these are amazing.

 

[Borek]

No tropical butterflies here, so we have to deal with whatever we can find in the field and around the house:

*

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Latin names - in file names. Pictures marked with asterisk taken by Marzena. That's not all, but others are not necesarilly worth of showing.

 

[turbo]

Nice variety, Borek.

 

[Andre]

Time for an update.

I was lucky to catch a dancing butterfly and a spectator. A substantial wow-factor for me. All pix crops on 25% size in sequence of about one per second to keep the flash loaded.

 

[Kerrie]

I love love love monarch butterflies! A few years ago I had one land on my finger for about 30 seconds, it was a magical feeling. Here is a photo of a butterfly shot my husband took at the zoo here in Oregon. (I cannot attach photos all that well!)

 

[Lacy33]

Background is what counts in this picture

Borek, is that an urn in the background?

 

[Borek]

No.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samovar

Not that we ever used it. Still, a nice one, made in the city of Tula. As far as I know my Dad had some rare sabre that he lent to one of his friends - when the sabre got lost, he got the samovar as a satisfaction for a lost item.

 

[pcman]

wow,so nice shot

 

[~christina~]

Andre, the butterfly flight shots are amazing! The third one is the best.

Borek, the variety of the butterflies in th epictures you have taken are very nice. In addition, the butterfly collection you have in the backround of the picture is quite large. My collection pales in comparison.

 

[Andre]

Thanks ~Christina~, that reminds me, I need to visit the greenhouses of the botanical garden of the Univerrsity of Utrecht soon. They have a tropical butterfly exhibition this season.

Hmm the English version doesn't seem to work but there are online translators.

And I would not bother about a butterfly collection. A butterfly picture collection is much better.

 

[~christina~]

Thanks ~Christina~, that reminds me, I need to visit the greenhouses of the botanical garden of the Univerrsity of Utrecht soon. They have a tropical butterfly exhibition this season.

Ooh you have to try to get a sequence of flight shots again. The variety of butterflies that you have taken pictures of is more than what there is available around here. (I speak of conservatories and not of native species)

And I would not bother about a butterfly collection. A butterfly picture collection is much better.

I agree that a photo collection is better but it's easier when you have a macro lens at your disposal.

 

[Andre]

Ooh you have to try to get a sequence of flight shots again. The variety of butterflies that you have taken pictures of is more than what there is available around here. (I speak of conservatories and not of native species)

Yes I'm am aiming for that but after the heat wave

I agree that a photo collection is better but it's easier when you have a macro lens at your disposal.

True, but it's not the only one. If you put a +1 dioptry close up lens on a moderate telelens (100-200mm for instance), you can surprise yourself already.

Also right here you can hire photographic equipment for a day or so, so you could check out the possibilities of all kind of lenses.

 

[~christina~]

[PLAIN]http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/7408/dsc0831vk.jpg

[PLAIN]http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/6605/dsc0063yp.jpg

 

[Andre]

Sorry I missed that ~christina~ that's certainly a good start. These look very small, don't they?

 

[~christina~]

Sorry I missed that ~christina~ that's certainly a good start. These look very small, don't they?

The pictures you mean? I could post larger shots of them. It is much more difficult to take pictures of small insects when you use a 300mm lens.

 

[Andre]

300mm? a prime or a basic 70-300mm zoom? Yes 300mm is not very useable, but try to put on such a thing:

+1 and +2 are probably the most useable and if you have a zoom, mid range ~100 to 150 may work better, it also gives you the "sweet spot" of the lens (honi soit qui mal y pense) combined with an aperture Av ~ 11. Also not sure if the VR (if available) works correctly with close up lenses, you may have to turn that off. Also use flash to get a sufficient short shutter speed because things move around a lot.

 

[Andre]

Found another butterfly greenhouse. A few of today's captures:

 

[lisab]

WOW :!) those are spectacular, Andre!

 

[drizzle]

Is it my eyes or are the wings transparent?! I's gorguoes! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Andre]

You're welcome, yes it's the http://www.hemmy.net/2006/04/30/glasswing-butterfly/ .

 

[GeorginaS]

As always, Andre, I'm amazed.

 

[Andre]

Maybe a few more then,

 

[Borg]

Wonderful pictures Andre!

Here's a visitor whose picture I captured several years ago.

 

[~christina~]

300mm? a prime or a basic 70-300mm zoom? Yes 300mm is not very useable, but try to put on such a thing:

+1 and +2 are probably the most useable and if you have a zoom, mid range ~100 to 150 may work better, it also gives you the "sweet spot" of the lens (honi soit qui mal y pense) combined with an aperture Av ~ 11. Also not sure if the VR (if available) works correctly with close up lenses, you may have to turn that off. Also use flash to get a sufficient short shutter speed because things move around a lot.

There are very few lens attachments available at the stores that I usually frequent. It's sad. I purchased a circular polarizer and was not impressed with the result. The focus and sharpness of the images produced were of low quality.

Why doesn't VR work with the close up lenses?

close ups of the pictures I posted before:

[PLAIN]http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/6120/dsc0063cr.jpg
[PLAIN]http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/5982/dsc0831cr.jpg