Sagitar Posted September 16, 2012 Report Share Posted September 16, 2012 We have had so few butterflies in the garden this year, apart that is from the ubiquitous Cabbage White, that I have taken very few pictures of them. It was a lovely suprise this afternoon, in the midst of my garden tidying labours, to find this Small Tortoiseshell feeding on the Michaelmas Daisies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parthiban Posted September 17, 2012 Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 Beautiful photos, the colours are so vibrant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 17, 2012 Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 Fantastic images.... I wish i had the time and skill to take pictures like those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted September 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 the colours are so vibrant! I think I may have said this somewhere before so forgive me if it's a repeat. I took the pics with the Fuji X-Pro1. Fuji manufacture a range of colour films with different colour characteristics. The most vivid of these is "Velvia" and I always liked it for flower pictures, but it can be OTT for some purposes. The X-Pro1 has the capability to simulate each of the Fuji colour film characteristics e.g. Provia - a standard colour film; Velvia - vivid; Astia - soft colour, I like it for portraits; two negative simulations, one normal and one high contrast; monochrome i.e. black and while; monochrome with a range of colour filters; and Sepia. There is a button on the back of the camera that gives direct access to the film simulation options so they can be changed quickly without needing to dig into menus. Taking the picture in bright sunlight does help with brightness and contrast, providing that care is taken not burn out the highlights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parthiban Posted September 17, 2012 Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 I think I may have said this somewhere before so forgive me if it's a repeat. I took the pics with the Fuji X-Pro1. Fuji manufacture a range of colour films with different colour characteristics. The most vivid of these is "Velvia" and I always liked it for flower pictures, but it can be OTT for some purposes. The X-Pro1 has the capability to simulate each of the Fuji colour film characteristics e.g. Provia - a standard colour film; Velvia - vivid; Astia - soft colour, I like it for portraits; two negative simulations, one normal and one high contrast; monochrome i.e. black and while; monochrome with a range of colour filters; and Sepia. There is a button on the back of the camera that gives direct access to the film simulation options so they can be changed quickly without needing to dig into menus. Taking the picture in bright sunlight does help with brightness and contrast, providing that care is taken not burn out the highlights. I really need to learn how to use my camera properly, but can you adjust colours like that on a normal camera? I agree it works really well with things like flowers where the colours have such a large impact. I'm not in the market for another camera but definitely intrigued by these new ones for their image quality in relation to their size, was reading about this Canon the other day and was thinking a zoom lens that fast on an SLR would be serious money (and I'm not even sure if you can get one?) http://www.dpreview....-powershot-g15/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted September 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 can you adjust colours like that on a normal camera? I haven't used enough cameras to answer yes or no, but every digital camera that I have used had some provision for altering colour balance, but not necessarily to give a pre-set effect as the Fuji does. The Canon SLRs that I use have a series of Custom Function settings that can be memorized and recalled so specific colour and hue values can be set there. Having taken a picture, you can alter pretty much anything you like in photo processing software and it is possible to buy "plug ins" aimed at particular effects. The Fuji just makes it very easy, providing that you are happy with their pre-sets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted September 18, 2012 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 Brilliant photos, love the colours. Did you use a macro lens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted September 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 Brilliant photos, love the colours. Did you use a macro lens? Taken with a Fujinon 60mm lens at f/2.8 (so the equivalent of about 90mm full frame). Fuji describe it as a macro lens but it has a maximum magnification of about half the object size so it's not a macro by the usual definition. It's OK for butterflies though, but I would like something a bit longer (I use a 180 mm macro on my full frame SLR) so I could stay further away from them. They startle easily if you get too close, especially if you are careless and let your shadow pass over them. Some of my favourite butterfly pics were taken with really long lenses. I'll put up one or two if you are interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 18, 2012 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 I am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooflessdriver Posted September 20, 2012 Report Share Posted September 20, 2012 Great photos. I used to love fuji film back in the day. Velvia was excellent as you say, particularly for greens. I know my canon dslr's have custom functions but never used them, as I prefer to shoot RAW and post process in Lightroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted September 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2012 I am OK Tony, here is a collection of butterfly pics, all taken with lenses of focal length between 200mm and 400mm. They were all taken while out walking and I needed to frame over fences and hedges etc. Mostly they are on wild flowers (thistles seem popular) but at least one is taken over a garden fence. Sorry it took so long, but some of them were taken as long as six years ago and I had to hunt through quite a stack to find them. A Red Admiral Peacocks A Marbled White A Holly Blue (and notice the Shield Bug in the top right corner). A Comma. Look under the wing for the "C" mark that is the clear identifier. And finally, a Painted Lady. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyelcomb Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Just to get Tony going again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Nice selection there Sagitar, last one is my favourite. I've only photographed butterflies at the zoo so it's very humid and can't stay for long. Sadly I don't see many of them about at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 The Peacocks are stunning.... Reason i think it's a cut above the rest is because the focal point is without interruption, you have captured the image, not the surroundings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Just to get Tony going again... Don't like that!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted September 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Having looked again at the blue one, I think it is much more likely to be a Common Blue than a Holly. I labelled it at the time that I took it and when I could see the underside of the wing. The Holly has a lot of spots on the underside of the wing and it should have been obvious, but lots of the blues look similar and I'm convinced now that I got this one wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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