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Weathered Warrior


Weathered Warrior
Photo Information
Copyright: Callie de Wet (Callie) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1252 W: 106 N: 2658] (7487)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-05-27
Categories: Insects
Camera: Nikon D70, Sigma 80-400 OS
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/800 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2005-06-07 14:16
Viewed: 1913
Points: 43
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
For Jaap, who has been shooting them since TE days, long ago. Thank you for the inspiration. The warm season is running out and the telltale signs of many successful flights & fights are clearly visible on this male butterfly. Winter is now sort of here in Gauteng – mornings around 3º-5º and days still up to 21º-23º C. The grass has seen the first frost and this meadow where we found this small b’fly next to the stormwater control dam were enjoying the sunny weather.

This butterfly was named by Linnaeus in 1763. It belongs to the PieridaeFamily and its common name is African clouded yellow or Lucerne butterfly. The wingspan is 35-40 in both male & female. As its name implies, this butterfly also frequents lucerne, and their larvae are often referred to as lucerne caterpillars. [For those not in the know – lucerne is a green, leafy plant with soft. Purple flowers – as kids, we have often eaten these flowers. These plants are cut and baled, then dried and used to feed livestock, much like you make hay in the Northern hemisphere.] These caterpillars can often reach pest proportions.

If the lucerne-caterpillars becomes a problem, some of the lucerne, together with several hundred of the resident caterpillars are cut and placed in a sealed container where overcrowded and humid conditions permits bacteria and other fungal diseases to thrive – this causes the death of the caterpillars. The contents of this vessel is then emptied and the contents mashed and the extract used as a diluted spray to spray the lucerne – affectively investing the remaining caterpillars in the crop.

There is a lesson here to be learnt by those who breed butterflies – keep their containers clean and sterilised.

SHOOTING DETAILS
Venue – Roodepoort
Date 27h MAY 2005
Time 14h53
Camera - Nikon D70
ISO 250 & ±-0 EV
Sigma 80-400 F4.5- 5.6 APO OS
Filter – Cokin UV
Focal length – 400 mm
Exposure mode - Aperture Priority - 1/800 @ F5.6
Metering Mode – Muti Pattern
Flash – none
Support - Handheld
Some cropping to suit, Brightness/Contrast; Some USM, reduced to Site size.
AdrianW, Nico, sAner, Signal-Womb, AndyB, Robbrown, Luc, dew77, coasties, red45, gerhardt, Fisher, liquidsunshine, Comandante, halki has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To gerhardt: NameCallie 5 06-09 05:51
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1654 W: 79 N: 1456] (4742)
  • [2005-06-07 14:36]

Hello Callie,

Een prachtige foto en een mooi eerbetoon aan Jaap, de macro grootmeester. I just wish we saw more posts from Jaap.

Your photo is beautiful. Details are sharp and colors are great. I really like the POV and the composition in your picture. I also like the yellowish border a lot. Good BG too but on my new monitor (have a flatpannel for the first time in my life) it looks a wee bit grainy. Nothing serious though. Well done & TFS! Lekker Aand!

Regards,
Pieter

Great macro Callie, very nice colours and composition.

Regards Steve.

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1592 W: 32 N: 1361] (3978)
  • [2005-06-07 18:36]

Hello Callie,
Its great to see a posting from you and a butterfly too!
I chased them around for hours today,no luck this time but I suppose the exercise is good for me!
Excellent composition,colours and a great background.
Very good detail considering the distance from which it was taken.
Keep 'em coming!

Very nicely captured callie, a different way of getting them into the camera with the long lens, instead of sneaking up as close as possible. should make it possible to get some of the more nervious ones on film. TFS

  • Great 
  • Nico Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 209 W: 1 N: 332] (1313)
  • [2005-06-08 2:20]

I like the colors and the soft focus. Does look a bit weathered does it not. End of its days, I suppose. I noticed how the photo's from other parts of the world are interpreting spring and the arrival of summer, whilst we are now getting into weathered weather.

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2005-06-08 6:05]

Hello Callie!
Wonderful butterfly close up.Lighting,BG,framing and composition are perfect.TFS...:-)

Hi Callie

Nice shot but not up to your usual standard. It looks noisey and soft on focus.... or is it my eyes? Nice subject all the same with an interesting note. Thanks.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2801 W: 75 N: 7845] (26257)
  • [2005-06-08 6:51]

Hi Callie!
I like golden-soft mood of your photo. Fantastic light and colours. Composition and pose also great but first of all this is like painting. TFS!
BTW - where's Jaap?

Callie, not your best shot, is it? Looks too soft and noisy for my liking, sorry.

NIce picture Callie.
Not your usual standard when it comes to sharpness.
Well composed, good colours and as usual a excellent note.
Very well done, my friend.

Ask same as Greg, where's Jaap?

Hi Callie, how nice to see you on board.
I can see that this is not a macro, but almost a long distance shot. I wish I could zoom like this, although this time, I guess the lens did no offer the best sharpness. As always an excellent note. Regards, Felipe.
PT.

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2005-06-08 16:22]

Sir Callie, of S.A.
Excelent capture and well done on the composition and details.

Mike

Sharpness: 4/5
Color: 5/5
DOF: 5/5
POV: 5/5
TFS
In a friendly way Christophe

Nice capture Callie,
Well composed and good soft colours. Nicely exposed.
Thanks for posting

  • Great 
  • jhm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 659 W: 0 N: 177] (622)
  • [2005-06-09 2:06]

Hallo Callie,
Jaap is nu met vakantie, maar zal zeer tevreden zijn met deze vlinder, niet uw aller grootste foto, misschien iets minder scherp dan gewoonlijk, maar zeker nog mooi om naar te kijken.
Groeten uit Vlaanderen,
John

Hello Callie!
Wonderful shot.Lighting,details and composition are excellent.Thanks for sharing.

Hi Callie, I thought this was an Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow. (Colias erate) I did have trouble to ID mine where did you get the ID?

Its a very pleasing composition. The light looks "just right". Not easy to do with these 400mm and handheld. Well done.

Nice shot Callie, I was shooting hummingbirds last week and tried a couple with the long lens myself that aren't half bad..Well done!

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2058 W: 316 N: 4403] (14711)
  • [2005-06-11 0:56]

Hello Callie!
Personal assessment of the photo: very good.
Strong visual impact.
Aptness of the photo for the site: excellent.
Personal assessment of the note: complete.
Thank you very much for sharing.
Have a good weekend and a great winter too in SA! I find strange to wish a great winter to you. It was near 40Celsius yesterday here. Hot and wet.
I have a new camera: Canon powershot S2 IS. I am falling in love with it!
YF Luc

thanks Callie,
very nice photo, I miss this one, the composition is great, the pov can be done better, the dof is exelent, the note is great, and the frame is nice. Bedankt vriend,
gr. Jaap

nice shot, callie!good composition, a pitty the focus is a bit soft and it looks a little noisy too.the colours are good and so is the dof.well done!

  • Great 
  • halki Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 253 W: 8 N: 105] (467)
  • [2005-08-10 5:17]

Hello Callie!
Wonderful macro.Colour,BG,details and composition great.
Thank for posting.

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