Large Blue on Wild Thyme

Hi All

I have had a busy June (although sadly not much nature photography) but I did manage a visit to Collard Hill in Somerset to try to photograph the elusive Large Blue Butterfly which has been reintroduced succesfully on this site. I couldn't manage an early morning visit so I had to content myself with a midday session trying to follow the little blighters around until they paused briefly to rest or feed. I managed about 5 shots in a 2 hour session, none of them award winning images but for my first ever attempt at Butterflies I was pleased to get a couple of half decent shots. I liked this image of the butterfly feeding on the wild thyme which is a crucial component in the lifecycle of this insect. Not critically sharp but I get away with it using some heavy handed USM.

Full frame landscape shot but cropped to square which I quite like for this particular composition.

Canon 20D, 70-200F4 L @ 200mm, + 37mm extension tubes, ISO 400, f8, 1/500th, handheld.

I am looking forward to getting a proper macro lens shortly and then trying for some other butterfly species during July and August. It's quite good fun this bug hunting lark......

cheers

Sean

Nice shot Sean, personally i would have liked the butterfly in a slightly different positon (more sideways) but i can appreciate the time and work that went into this image. Well done!
Rene de heer

Well thats a very fine shot Sean, I am going back this week to try again, one point about using a macro lens, I bought one about a year ago, and used it alot, but you always end up trying to get very close to things, so this year, I have been using my MM,plus 1.7tc, plus extension tube, or a combination of these,OK its alot to cart around, but you can sit 10 feet away from the insect and get frame fillers, I have found it a much better way of doing things???

Hi Stewart

Thanks for your comments, but I am scratching my head trying to work out what MM stands for? Please put me out of my misery. As you are using a 1.7x TC I guess you are a Nikon user.

I agree often the best compositions can be taken using a long telephoto plus some extension tubes, especially with a 1.5x or 1.6x crop camera which gets you in a bit closer still. However I still find myself wishing I could move in a bit closer, especially with my 5D, so I have decided a long telephoto macro would be useful (and expensive) addition to the camera bag.

Good luck if you revisit the site.

cheers

Sean

Sorry Sean missed the 300, out of the e-mail, should have read 300mm 2.8..... I have just done some Banded Demoseills, and you cant get very close to them, very skittish little beasts, I will post one this week , all taken about 10feet away.......

Stewart

Nice one Sean, not easy these bf's, (a small spray bottle with a mixture of sweet sherry, water and a little sugar can work wonders )

Hello Sean
Is Phil's reipe for the bfly or the cameraman?
I must say that I have never even seen one of these, let alone pointed a lens at one. Nice image though and something I am sure you will be returning for.
Best wishes
Phil

Thanks Phil & Phil

I will try out Phil's tip of the secret Butterfly elixir, although I might swap the sweet Sherry for some Jura Whisky though so at least if the BF's don't go for it I will

cheers

Sean