Gloria Grandolini
May 2025 - Gold Rim Swallowtail (Battus Polydamas)
About the Image(s)
I was inspired to explore further by Stuart’s image last month. So to continue the learning process… I was taking photos of birds in the Pacific coast of Mexico in March and on my way back home I took this shot at 400 mm. I thought this butterfly was beautiful and when I checked, it seems it is found in Mexico, Central America, Florida and Texas. The image is shot in TV as I was taking shots of birds in flight. I could get pretty close as the R5 is a full frame camera. Let us see what you think of sharpness and on whether it could fit the broader macro definition.
Shot with CANON R5
400mm with Lens EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM with adapter for R
1/1250 sec at f/5.6 ISO 640 handheld
3 comments posted
Gloria, what a beautiful creature you've captured. I love how crisp and clear the legs, antenna, and body are. From my eyes the wings seem almost too solid. I'm wondering if it's possible to soften the wings a bit. Maybe bring down the highlights, the black tones, and the sharpness? That might also make for a softer blend with the background. I tried to play around a bit with these adjustments in the attached image. The difference is very subtle. You've done such a great job on the sharpness of the body. The softer wings seems to give a place for the eyes to focus without competition from the wings. Of course this is my personal preference and you should go with what your desired result is. Either way, it's a great capture. Posted: 05/06/2025 19:07:08
Margaret West
Tack sharp and very beautiful! Posted: 05/08/2025 00:50:20
Beautiful photo, I love the colors and how sharp the image is. Posted: 05/12/2025 14:49:29