Wildlife Photography across the Water: Flash with Butterflies

Tuesday 20 April 2010

Flash with Butterflies

One of the things that regular readers will know is that I like to get images in my gardenas and when the opportunities present themselves. On Sunday, while working the second Speckled Wood butterfly of the year came in and I had the camera ready. 7D with the Canon 180 macro.

The subject was settling in area that was difficult to get a good shot and also straight into the bright sunlight.

This is the uncropped, just sharpened image - lots of bright highlights and not brilliant light on the subject.

This is the uncropped, just sharpened image but with fill flash - much better lighting control. I used the pop up flash on the 7D - totally convenient in situations like this.

This final version is how I have processed the second image, with some minor subject cropping, and a little toning down of the highlights on the left hand side to minimise the distractions. Just a few seconds work in PS as an adjustment layer.

On this occasion, the subject wasn't concerned about me and stayed in position

Martin

1 comment:

Unknown20 April 2010 at 12:03
Lovely butterfly and thanks for the editing info.
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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.