Badgrandad
FollowTaken on holiday in Scotland while at Caerlaverock WWT using a monopod.
Taken on holiday in Scotland while at Caerlaverock WWT using a monopod.
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Contest Finalist in Macro Butterflies Photo Contest
People's Choice in Insects And Critters Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Insects And Critters Photo Contest
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken on the Caerlaverock WWT nature reserve in Dumfries, ScotlandTime
This was taken in May about 15.45 hrs, and was one of the last images Itook that day and was just before we were about to leave.Lighting
The lighting was overcast so perfect for macro, and as it was later in the day at that time of year there was a very slight hint of warmth in the light.Equipment
For this shot I used my monopod with ball head attached, Pentax K3 and 70 mm sigma macro lens. No flash was used, therefore ISO400 was used to give a shutter speed of 1/200 sec.Inspiration
Essentially my love of wildlife and nature and in this case the Male Orange Tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) was sat on its larval food plant i.e. Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis).Editing
I first process in DxO and export to LR CC to give a general adjustment to colour, temperature, exposure and dodge and burn if required more selectively, before exporting to PS CC were more precise adjustments are made if required. I often us Nik filters and usually finish up by using High pass sharpening with the image converted to mono, before applying sharpening and using the appropriate mode which is often soft or overlay to bring back colour and then adjust opacity to suit.In my camera bag
Gitzo monopod, Giottos CF tripod, Induro ball head, cable release, L-plate, polarisers, spare batteries and memory cards, with the Pentax K3, 12-24, 16-50 and 50-135 mm lenses and my sigma 70 mm macro lens are my main stays.Feedback
The light was overcast, therefore the clouds were acting as a giant diffuser and is the perfect conditions for shooting macro during the day. On this occasion I wanted to include the flower so used f11 to maximize as much D.O.F as I could so as to include the flower in a recognizable way. There was plenty of space behind the subject and was neutral in tone, so as I approached the subject, even at f11 the background was thrown out. On this occasion the butterfly sat well while I took the images, however, you should never rush but id possible allow the subject to get accustomed to your presence and then slowly inch your way in to get closer, with no sudden movements. It also helps to wear neutral non bright colours.