debhearn

Peek-A-Boo Butterly

NIKON D90

Aperture f/5.6 ISO 400 Shutter 10/16000

upload_date

Nov, 2014

Views

462

Likes

+25

Awards

Top Shot Award 21

Fall Award 2020

Superb Composition

Absolute Masterpiece

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Peer Award

Superior Skill

Magnificent Capture

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

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Top 20 rank week 1

Top 30 rank week 1

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Behind The Lens

Location

This beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail was taken in my side yard on Signal Mountain, Tennessee, as she lit on a bright pink azalea.

Time

At half past Noon with the light coming from a southern exposure as the sun arced crossing left to right high over my back yard, before becoming obscured by the shade from forests surrounding.

Lighting

The lighting was all natural sunlight with no filtering or effects added to enhance the clarity. A bright clear day sharply lit enhanced the natural beauty of the butterfly's striking "paint".

Equipment

This photo was shot on a Nikon D-90 with Nikkor 55-300 mm zoom lens at 300mm with f/5.6

Inspiration

I was remembering my mother as it would have been her 82nd birthday on April 12. We were very close all my life and she always called me her "love bug"; so, every year during the time of her birthday and the days surrounding that date my mind wanders to her and our relationship many times a day. I saw this beautiful butterfly and thought it was a sign that she was with me and watching me. What is not seen in this shot of this particular butterfly is a tear in the wing not showing, a tatter. This is the first Spring I saw a beautiful tattered butterfly of this variety and another photo of this same butterfly won a staff award Winter of 2015. It seems that each Spring God sends me a tattered butterfly to remind me that although we are tattered and torn in many ways, we are still beautiful to him. My mom passed on May 25, 2001 after a 6-year battle with Alzheimer's disease, so it was almost 10 years since her passing that I captured this first Spring butterfly and I called it "Peek-A-Boo" Butterly, a game we used to play when I was a child. A reminder and a memory of her tattered beauty.

Editing

There was no need for any post processing on the photo. It stands just as it was taken.I

In my camera bag

I always take my Nikon D90 and two Nikkor lenses - a 18-105 mm and 55-300 zoom, along with a USB adaptive connector to download onto any computer. Nikon lens cleaners, extra SD cards and a flash drive. When I travel I like to be sure to have the drives to download as I go so I am sure not to lose any shots! I also use my camera bag for passport, other id, cash and cards when I fly while my regular "pocketbook" is transported in my luggage. That way I am sure to keep my camera safe and close at hand. I also take along my tripod in it's carry bag when traveling locally especially if I am planning on using a long exposure.

Feedback

Butterflies are a particular favorite of mine and if their colors are bright and beautiful, then full sunlight at an angle of 30 degrees or so will capture this beautiful coloring as well as catching a glimmer of sunlight in their eyes with a hint of shadowing to create a bit of contrast! Having the azalea or some other brightly colored flower with the butterfly in "opposing" coloration is also good to draw out the colors in the butterfly as well. The best advice I can give is to "perceive" the beauty of the butterfly with your inner "eye" and try to capture the ethereal "spirit" of the butterfly through your lens. Also, I would mention that I never use the screen on my camera to take a picture and always use my "eye" instead!

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debhearn

Peek-A-Boo Butterly

Behind The Lens

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