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Monarch "For jignasi"


Monarch
Photo Information
Copyright: Luis Leal (Luis52) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1015 W: 5 N: 2759] (10010)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-06-08
Categories: Insects
Camera: Nikon D80, 55mm Micro Nikkor f2.8
Exposure: f/11, 1/60 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-06-20 8:17
Viewed: 533
Points: 62
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Monanrch Butterfly Danus plexippus
For jignasi. Jose Ignacio Tejedor.

The Monarch Butterfly is the king of the insect world. Even though they are small creatures, they do phenomenal things. First, they develop from tiny eggs, to a caterpillar, become a chrysalis, and finally transform into a beautiful butterfly. They migrate, traveling great distances to over winter in a temperate climate. Amazingly enough, not one butterfly makes the entire round-trip journey. Winter butterflies are sluggish and do not reproduce. In spring they return to summer homes and breed along the way. Their offspring return to the starting point.

Danaus plexippus is the scientific name for the Monarch Butterfly. Related species in the family are found on all continents except the polar regions, wherever milkweed and related plants are found. It also provides the Monarch with an intriguing form of protection, since the milkweed juices assimilated by the Monarch make it poisonous to predatory birds. The beautiful orange color of the Monarch butterfly serves to teach predators that their intended meal might be toxic. Not all milkweeds produce cardiac glycosides, therefore not all Monarchs are poisonous. However, the warning orange color serves to disguise poisonous from the non-toxic Monarch.

Each Autumn, thousands of Monarch Butterflies gather in southern Canada to migrate south. Some of these butterflies travel over 2,900 kilometers, just to overwinter in places such as Michoacan, Mexico in a small town called Angangueo. Other Monarch Butterflies also overwinter in Cuba, and Pacific Grove, as well as Newark, California. In sanctuaries such as the one in Angangueo, Michoacan in Mexico there are millions of these gorgeous butterflies. From morning until about 1:00pm, they are most active. You can see them flying around and almost blocking the sky. You will hear the fascinating sound of their wings flapping. During their long flight there is a great danger from predators.

The orange markings of their wings advertise the unmistakable fact that they might be a dangerous meal.

The early ancestors of the Mexican people were the Mayans and Aztecs. They frequently included butterflies in their cultural arts. The Borboico Codex shows evidence of this popular insect.

Saludos
Luis52.

maurydv, eng55, boreocypriensis, gracious, nglen, uleko, jaycee, alikox, Jamesp, vanderschelden, eqshannon, CeltickRanger, Juyona, Argus, xTauruSx, bahadir, marhowie, XOTAELE, Adanac, NinaM, yasin has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To eqshannon: Lessons.Luis52 1 06-20 21:58
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Critiques [Translate]

Splendida macro di questa bellissima Monarca, eccellenti POV e composizione con i motivi grafici della farfalla e dei fiori, ottima nitidezza, bellissimi i colori. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 353 W: 3 N: 375] (1123)
  • [2008-06-20 8:30]

Hi Luis,
Very nice close up.I liked vivid colors,exposure,sharpness,details and composition a lot.
Thanks for posting.

Hello Luis,

Splendid picture of this monarch. Excellent composition with a beautiful surrounding. Excellent sharpness and wonderful colours. The butterfly is great, and the flower as well.
Cheers,
Mariki

Hi Luis, superb macro capture of this beauty my friend. Wonderful DoF and clarity. Great details too. TFS.
Have a nice weekend! Cheers,
Bayram

Hola Luis,
Nice image and a nice dedication to our friend!
beautiful pose well captured of this Monarch!
very sharp with nice colour and details
many thanks for the sharing
muchas gracias
Saludos
Tony

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1904 W: 4 N: 5177] (19726)
  • [2008-06-20 9:37]

Hi Luis. This is a beautiful close up of the Butterfly. the detail ais first class. sharp focusing and rich colours. you have used the light so well. And a nice dedication to Jignasi. well done TFS.
Nick..
Have a nice weekend.

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2381 W: 164 N: 7153] (22602)
  • [2008-06-20 9:37]

Hello Luis,
Wonderful capture of this remarkable butterfly, commonly seen here but as lovely to look at every time! I like its pose here on the white flowers and details are very sharp and the colours are beautiful. It stands out very nicely from the background too.
Many thanks and best wishes, Ulla

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1691 W: 8 N: 4340] (14113)
  • [2008-06-20 9:47]

Hola Primo,

This is so beautiful with the marvelous Monarch and the pretty flowers. Superb colors and razor sharp details of the magnificent markings. A lovely summer scene and a wonderful compositiom.

Jane

Hi Luis,
Colorful capture of this beautiful butterfly. I liked the composition and the habitat.
Best regards,
Ali

Hola Luis, a ver si ahora te va a tener que tocar dedicar jajaja. Se agradece sinceramente y ni lo pedía ni me lo esperaba, por lo que es una grata sorpresa y un halago, más, viniendo de una persona que aparte de su buen hacer con una cámara entre las manos, solo hace falta verte la cara para saber que eres una persona cabal y de buenos sentimientos: Gracias !!
La foto, un regalo para los sentidos en todos los apectos.
Un cordial saludo: J. Ignasi Tejedor

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1218 W: 0 N: 4657] (13840)
  • [2008-06-20 13:28]

Hi Luis

Greay shot - a beautiful composition with lovely detail and colour.

James

Hi Luis,,,Good shot...Flowers and butterflies, excellent composition and very good details...Best wishes...Cypturk

Hello Luis...Beautiful Butterflies and very good information...Clear detail and nice colour...Kind regards...Yasemin

Well done, Luis.
Great milkweed butterfly portrait.
TFS
Annick

Have you been taking some kind of lessons or just learning from TN as I do...and I thought I could not learn new ways...an old man like me...but I can and I do look forward to images like this. They inspire me to get up and go out early....I reckon that means less Cerveza/sa....dang... too much already..
Bob

hello Luis

beautiful shot of the Monarch Butterfly with very fine POV, DOF
and framing, beautiful luminosity of the image,
great sharpness and details, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 847 W: 4 N: 2096] (9830)
  • [2008-06-21 3:28]

Hello Luis, Oh Beautiful. Excellent sharp focus and lovely lighting. natural colors and natural sorrounding. Ganesh

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1589 W: 242 N: 5308] (18683)
  • [2008-06-21 4:26]

A beautiful butterfly and a perfect shot!
Magnificent colours and great lighting.
Extremely sharp and clear.
Very well composed too.

A great dedication to Ignasi :-)

Well done, Luis!

Joe

Bonjour Jorge
Très belle présentation et belle prise en macro avec ce joli papillon ,les couleurs et la nettetée sont très bonnes, belle composition et beau bg.
Au revoir et félicitation ....JP

Les sourires demain

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2003 W: 6 N: 1955] (13053)
  • [2008-06-21 8:21]

Hola Luis,
como va todo??
pues tenía una monarca para poner hoy, pero me pareció interesante poner otra cosa,
hermoso trabajo para Ignasi.
Sensacional el color y el hermoso foco, sin duda una bella foto,
saludos amigo y muchos recuerdos.

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2500 W: 132 N: 7109] (22209)
  • [2008-06-21 10:00]

Hola Luis,
You used the Nikon micro lens to good effect: this Monarch could not be sharper and the pose and composition on the white flowers is pleasing with the BG flowers sufficiently OOF to allow the monarch to stand out.
A fine capture and an excellent tribute to our TN friend, Ignasi.
TFS,
Un abrazo fraternal tambien,
Ivan

Hello Luis,
Superb composition of this beautiful butterfly. TFS. Regards,
Deniz

Hola Luis,
Qué regalo le diste a Ignasi! una refulgente y magnífica monarca con unos colores muy vibrantes. Espectacular
Saludos

Hello Luis, wonderful shot of this beauty. TFS. Regards,
Bahadır

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 937 W: 5 N: 2456] (9197)
  • [2008-06-21 16:32]

Hi Luis,just my best compliments for this fatastic shot,nothing to say,the pic talk alone!!!Thanls a lot for share and for very nice workshop of my machaon,have a nice Sunday,Luciano

Good Morning Luis,
God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.
~Martin Luther

Preciosa aproximación.
Buenos detalles y excelente la claridad con que se aprecian los diferentes tonos.
Interesante nota amigo Luis.
Un cordial saludo, JL.

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1036 W: 1 N: 3970] (13366)
  • [2008-06-22 20:33]

Hello Luis,
Magnificent image of this Monarch with vivid color and sharp details. I see you have continued your superior work in my absence. Thank you My Very Good Friend.
Rick

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-06-24 21:43]

Hello Luis

A lovely capture of this beautiful monarch.
The focus is sharp.
Wonderful rich colours and well illuminated.
The pose is excellent.
Great pov and dof.
TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 545 W: 0 N: 1338] (4443)
  • [2008-07-01 16:34]

This picture is perfect, Luis, and I missed many pictures of yours, they are truly excellent, from the technical point of view to the beauty you are showing us. This one is superb, the butterfly beams out the frame even though we can see where it stands on the flowers. It is sharp and the colours so perfect. Thank you! P/S Thanks for the great notes too!

Francine

  • Great 
  • yasin Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 31 W: 1 N: 43] (129)
  • [2008-07-02 0:38]

Beautiful butterfly composition, Luis. The lights are wonderful and so smooth. Good exposure and lovely colours, too.
Best wishes,
Bima

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