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Beauty in Black and White


Beauty in Black and White
Photo Information
Copyright: Scott Evers (scottevers7) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2431 W: 3 N: 3882] (12267)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-11-25
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon 20D, Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro
Exposure: f/14.0, 1/6 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-11-26 16:48
Viewed: 1023
Points: 72
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Paper Kite, or Rice Paper Butterfly, needs no introduction for most people. It has been well doucmented on this site numerous times. There are many excellent shots when you do a search for them.

For me the idea then becomes how do you do a shot that does not look like many of the others already posted. I am always trying to find a unique angle or perspective to give my work a distinct look. I really liked this shot for the composition and detail. I am not real happy with the lighter area in the upper right corner, and find it slightly distracting. That was the only part of the shot I could not control. I just did the best I could with what was available.

This is probably the easiest butterfly you will ever try to photograph. They are slow, and very calm. They allow you to get very close. Why is that? You will just have to read the scientific stuff that follows.

Scientific Name: Idea leuconoe
Common Name: Paper Kite
Native Location: Southeast Asia
Description: This large, showy butterfly uses its color for more than just a flashy "hello". The black and white markings, coupled with the slow flight, tell potential predators this butterfly is quite distasteful. This sort of obvious advertisement of distaste is called Aposematism. They are members of the Subfamily Danainae, many of whom are chemically protected by the plants the caterpillars feed on. Monarch butterflies, for example, are also in this Subfamily. Paper Kites love to visit flowers during the day, gathering the sugar rich nectar which makes up their diet. The chrysalis of this butterfly is one of the more striking, with bright yellow or gold backgrounds and black spots or markings. They have a wide home range throughout Southeast Asia.

Source : Missouri Botanical Garden Website
Juyona, marhowie, Silvio2006, PDP, blakitan, cecilia, Dave, red45, miuky, wkshelton, volkan, jcoowanitwong, dew77, mbasil, ramthakur, metcher, Janice, saguzar, wallhalla15, RAP, SunToucher, jeanpaul, coasties, ScottHale, Alex99 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2262 W: 10 N: 2630] (15565)
  • [2006-11-26 17:01]

Scott es una maravilla tu disparo y muy original Pov. textura y nitidez excelentes, muchos saludos

This is an excellent macro capture Scott.
The exposure and colors look perfect to me.
Excellent detail, sharpness, and DOF. The composition is very appealing, and works nicely for this type of profile closeup shot :)
Very well done and have a great week!

Hi Scott, great mcro, excellent details, great sharpness, lovely colors, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1168 W: 261 N: 3035] (13835)
  • [2006-11-26 17:21]

Hi Scott,

A very nice macro,with a differen but nice crop,well caqptured with good colors and details,well done and TFS

Paul

  •      
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2006-11-26 18:05]

Hello Scott, very nice. I like the bold composition and the DOF are focus are very nice - lovely details. Well done.

Hi Scott,
Excellent macro-shot. Great sharpness and very nice details. BG is also very neat. Nice natural colors. Smartly cropped.
Greatly done.

Ben Lakitan

Another beautiful butterfly, superb detail, DoF and colours...
Well done Scott.
Cecilia

  • Great 
  • Dave Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 525 W: 47 N: 674] (2173)
  • [2006-11-26 21:10]

A rice paper butterfly...
Makes me wish I was in Korea so I could compare the photo to an actual rice paper door so I could see for myself how apt the name is...;-) I see some amazing detail in those wings. I think you succeeded in giving this one a distinct and unique look. Very nice mf!

TFS,

Dave

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2006-11-27 2:10]

Hi Scott!

It is surprise to me that you've got so many different than in Europe and beautifull butterflies :-) Another great macro. I like POV with vertical frame, black and white colours looks surprisingly well. Detaila are awesome - look at insect's wings - all single scales are well visible. Great post my friend!

  • Great 
  • miuky Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 17 W: 0 N: 17] (180)
  • [2006-11-27 5:02]

beautifull picture!!
Hy Scott...great color and sharpness...
Regards, M.

Hello Scott,
This is a wonderful capture of this butterfly that I never have seen in real. I think its name is much appropriated as the texture of its wing looks like rice paper :) You caught excellent details in an original POV and composition. Personally, I am not disturbed by this BG. Well done and TFS,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2171 W: 218 N: 4383] (14900)
  • [2006-11-27 6:51]

Hi Scott

Black and white or colors, this is a superb butterfly, captured very well by you!
The details and textures are fantastic and the contrast and colors are simply lovely. Also because of its colors, he looks really great against that beautiful BG.
Excellent POV and DOF, too.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Hello Scott,

Excllent macro, Bg POV DOF spot on, colors, details, excellent composed and capture well, excellent job,

TFS Kyle

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 962 W: 0 N: 89] (7801)
  • [2006-11-27 9:58]

Hi Scott
Good close-up shot. Good details, sharpnes, BG, colours, DOF and POV. Also good note
Well done mf.

osse

  • Great 
  • volkan Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 463 W: 10 N: 2] (1076)
  • [2006-11-27 10:38]

Hi Scott,
Excellent shot.
Very nice blurry BG,details and sharpness.
Well done.
TFS

Hello Scott,
This is really a beauty. Excellent exposure and sharpness. POV and DOF are great. Very impresseive macro picture.
JC

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2006-11-27 11:16]

Hello Scott,
Wonderful macro.Well caught,framed and composed.POV,lighting,clear details are also perfect.
TFS..:-)

  • Great 
  • mbasil Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 336 W: 149 N: 745] (3304)
  • [2006-11-27 12:44]

Nice butterfly detail Scott. Nice balance -- there is plenty of detail in the body and the wings here, but enough wing for a positive ID.
Thanks for the tips on the slow moving one. I'll have to look for it next time I'm at the butterfly pavillion at the Calgary zoo.
Mike

Hi Scott,
What a brilliant capture, my friend!
Talking about different perspectives, this is the first time I am seeing a butterfly holding on to a sizable tree :-)!
The huge macro is sharp, clear and colorful in the most natural way.
I find the light spot on the top corner of the BG least disturbing, honestly speaking.
Thanks and warm regards.
Ram

Hi, Scott.
Great macro. Excellent exposure with control on both white and black. Very good details, sharpness. Nice BG.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2006-11-27 14:10]

Yes, it is areal beauty in B&W. Good one Scott. So sharp, so clear, so good to see, TFS
Janice

Hola Scott,
Unm excelente y buen macro; la composición no es menos. Me gustan las texturas, encuadre e iluminación. El POV es genial.
Saludos
Hernán

Hello Scott,
this is a very nice portrait from the Idea leuconoe. Great sharpness, details and great POV. Very nice bg and natural colours. This is a great comosition. Thank you.
Gr.
Heinz

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2006-11-27 17:27]

Very sharp close up my friend with very good lighting control and background.

I like it a lot: composition, framing, DOF, focus, sharpness, POV, color, lighting, background, notes.

I don't like it: nothing to grumble.

I like the contrast between the insect and bottom.
Best regards... Ricardo

Hi Scott,
What a stunning close capture. So many beautiful details are visable on the butterfly. I love the contrast of the black and white colors against the dark green OOF BG. The subtle yellow colors on the wing are perfectly captured. Excellent composition and lighting.
TFS,
Niek

hi scott,
lovely shot,
well composed,
nice pov, good dof,
sharpness is excellent,
well done
tfs & regards
pankaj

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1899 W: 36 N: 5578] (18516)
  • [2006-11-28 10:46]

Hi Scott,
Marvellous macro capture with clear details, sharpness and colors.
The DOF, POV and composition is superb.
TFS
Sumon

bonjour scott
j'aime bien ce papillon presque depourvu de duvet comme beaucoup d'autre papillon,
la netteté est tres bonne sur l'ensemble du cliché,bon POV aussi.
laurent

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2006-11-28 22:57]

Hello Scott

A wonderful POV and crop.You achieved your goal of coming up with something different.The DOF is well handled,and the details are razor sharp.The butterfly's features are really well seen ,and the textures are very visible.TFS

Rob

Hi Scott

This is a fantastic macro. Look at all the clear detail. Congrats!

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 987 W: 5 N: 2762] (10618)
  • [2006-11-29 5:31]

Hello Scott,
that´s a very nice capture. Excellent colours and very good sharp details. Composition and POV/DoF are great also. Very well done

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2233 W: 188 N: 1929] (8127)
  • [2006-11-29 5:38]

Hi Scott,
your macro of this butterfly is fabulous. Very good sharpness and the details are great. I like the composition with the excellent crop and neutral back ground that shows of the details so well.
TFS..Sky

Salut Scott
Félicitation pour cette belle composition de cette merveilleuse prise de vue.Tout est parfait
Encore une fois.
Bravo et merci...JP

  • Great 
  • Silke Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 727 W: 98 N: 1694] (5406)
  • [2006-11-29 21:31]

Truly a lovely creature and maybe one that I should start looking for so I can try my hand at photgraphing these little creatures!
Great composition and superb details and colours. TFS
Silke

Hello Scott,
Superb details, dynamic composition!
Butterfly is well framed with great details, impressive silky-crips textures in the wings...
Pleasant background enhances the insect!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Scott,
I think the triangular shape of the Paper Kite plays well with the diagonal framing of the tree, it really make a good dynamic in the picture. The detail you captured with the 180 is perfect. Very well done,
Scott

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3584 W: 143 N: 5669] (18531)
  • [2006-12-05 9:53]

Hi Scott.
I do not know how I could miss this nice shot. This is extreme close-up is very likeable for me. Original composition, perfect details, exact and rich colours, amazing BG. This not complete list of the indubitable merits of this picture. BRAVO and TFS.
Alexei.

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