The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
My goal is to share the delightful moments of discovery and beauty on the Puget Sound prairies. While the blue color of these native butterflies is easily spotted in the field, it has taken me a couple of seasons of chasing these very small butterflies with a longer lens to increase the odds of getting a sharp image with a decent composition.
Specific Feedback
In particular, I am wondering if the background is too light and/or dull to complement the striking blue butterfly. I am wondering if I need to adjust the hue of the green in particular but not sure of my color sense.
I exported this in Adobe Vivid and sRGB.
Hi Meredith. I’m really happy to see you on NPN. I love this image and the way the perch kind of emerges from obscurity at the bottom (one of my favorite effects). The background does a great job of telling a nice story about the environment without being at all obtrusive and the butterfly is nicely sharp.
The various forums take a bit of getting used to on this site. If you click on them, you can see a full description of what they’re for. Human and Fauna is actually designated for domestic animals, captive animals or animals in an obviously human environment, so this is probably more appropriate for the macro forum (even though it’s not technically a macro image). That’s where most of the insect images end up, so I’ll move it for you. If you had taken it in a butterfly house, then definitely it would go here, but I have a pretty good idea where you took this one
Thanks again for joining and posting. I’m sure you’ll love it here.
I’m happy to see you post another image for us to enjoy!
This one is spot on perfection in my view!
I don’t see anything that needs attention (other than my viewing attention).
Focus is right where it should be and I thoroughly enjoy the softness in the other areas.
The colors are complimentary and pleasing, and, the saturation and contrast are spot on!
Meredith, I don’t know how I missed seeing this beauty. Sorry for coming in late. I don’t think I have ever seen one of these Prairie Blues before. I live in NC so that may be the reason, if the name indicates where they live.
Anyway, a very nice look at him. Nice and sharp. I like that the out of focus flowers in the background are a repetition of the one the butterfly is on. Just a pleasing image. I can’t think of anything that would improve it.
Oh what a striking image! The soft fuzzy body matches the ethereal surroundings you’ve put together. Dennis mentioned that the perch comes up out of the bottom in a really pleasing way. Everything is subdued and that makes the little 'fly pop so nicely. I think the green looks nice - kind of sagebrush-y. The OOF flowers are a nice backdrop that frames the star. Super job.
Hi, Meredith. This is a striking macro. The composition is impressive. To echo what others have already said, I especially like the OOF background with the repeated purple-pink flowers. They complement the green leaves where the butterfly is resting. Sharpness is also very good in your image. I do not believe that saturation needs any adjustment whatsoever in any color. I would like to offer a very minor suggestion, if you think it’s worth doing and may improve the quality of this strong image. The very small leaf blurs (three of them) on the left side of the frame could be cloned out or the image could be cropped a smidge tighter on the left side. They are not distracting to most eyes, though. The blue of the butterfly dominates the image and keeps viewers’ eyes centered. Your image creates a fairy-tale scene.
Hi Shirley
You weren’t late to see – I had posted it in another category and it was kindly shifted to Macro.
There is a butterfly Subfamily of “Blues”. An expert would need to see the underside of the wings to confirm which one this is. He’s perched on a lupine gone to seed, in a patch of blooming lupines on a prairie. About 1.25" long.
Thanks for your comments, it helps to confirm what I’m trying for–
Meredith
Hi Mervin,
Appreciate the feedback, it helps confirm what I’m trying for. Although some of it is luck as I chase them across the prairie.
Still too early for those landscape shots–
Meredith
Hi Kristen,
Appreciate the feedback, particularly on the colors. Sometimes I work with an image too long and lose perspective.
This helps confirm what I’m trying for–
Meredith
Hi Egidio,
Thanks, I appreciate your detailed comments, especially on the colors. I’ll follow-up on the edge which I missed.
This helps confirm for me what I’m trying for –
Meredith
I’m late here – all said above! I’ll just add that this is gorgeous and worth waiting 2 years for! Butterflies are much more difficult than birds in flight. I think the sage greens are perfect, the BG just the right brightness, and the shoot-through at the base is a wonderful grace note!!
Meredith, the “Blues” are small and hard to approach, so getting this shot took some careful work. I think it does an excellent job of showing off the butterfly in its environment. I too like how its perch shows up out of the surroundings. (Many years ago, shots like this, with material in the front, were the rage in flora. If I remember correctly they were call “cram shots”…) The BF is also nicely separated from both the foreground and background plants.
