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The Blue Morpho


The Blue Morpho
Photo Information
Copyright: Serge Gagne (sergegagne) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 150 W: 1 N: 136] (401)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-03-09
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon EOS 300D, Canon 18-55mm, Cokin Skylight UV Neutral 58mm
Exposure: f/11, 1/800 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2005-03-11 19:45
Viewed: 2038
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
Blue morpho
Morpho peleides

Funny, that number of butterfly images posted these last days [Laurent (LaurenZ), Philip (netfalls), Mario (EOSF1), Jaap (Carper), Wenchen (went)]! It’s just a coincidence that I post my first butterfly photo today, hoping that you will like. I know that there is a man-made feature in the image, but the fauna feature (i.e. the butterfly) remains the major centre of interest IMO. I have captured that image at the Montreal Botanical Garden, where visitors can attend a special event, called «Butterflies Go Free». One can admire a good number of specimens of tropical butterflies and morphs species that were released in one of the Garden’s greenhouses. That greenhouse has been customized to meet the butterflies’ and moths’ essential needs and keep them healthy. The temperature, humidity and light are kept just right, and platters of fruit and nectar-bearing and other plants have been provided for the winged guests to feed, rest and breed on.

The Blue morpho (Morpho peleides) belongs to the family Morphidae and the order Lepidoptera. It lives in South and Central America. Its wingspan varies from 3.5 to 5 inches. These butterflies are rather hard to photograph as they are almost always on the wing: being highly territorial, they spend most of their time chasing each other and feeding. I got a shot of one that was resting quietly for a short moment.

The Blue morpho has been quite popular in Quebec some time ago, mainly due to the fact that it has been the «star» of a movie, «The Blue Butterfly», that has been on top of the box office in the province during several weeks.

EXIF data

Image capture at 10:43 am under a sunny sky faded through the greenhouse canopy
Exposure mode: Aperture priority
ISO 1600 (no flash)
Focal length: 55 mm digital (i.e. 88 mm “conventional”)
Metering mode: Pattern


Postprocessing


Levels / Saturation / Contrast
No cropping
Border and Text
RAW / TIFF / JPEG for Web at TN size
hummingbird24, thistle, Janice, Luc, PDP has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Callie: Muchas gratias, Calliesergegagne 1 03-12 15:39
To Luc: Toujours appréciés, tes atelierssergegagne 1 03-12 13:11
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Critiques [Translate]

Quelle superbe image Serge. Il y a quelques jours que je ne suis venu sur TN et je tombe sur cette merveille de Morpho bleu. Non seulement la photo est très bien composée, mais la note, fort bien documentée, invite au voyage; pas besoin d'aller bien loin pour être dépaysé lorsqu'on est Montréalais cependant.
Le muret rose cendré met très bien en valeur la richesse des couleurs de ce papillon.
Une belle réussite.

A classic beauty this photo. You have done well with the composition of your capture. Lighting has been handled well and colors are wonderful. I especially like the detail of your "Blue Morpho". Thank you.

Great shot!
Beautiful colours and very good composition.
I like it very much.
Well done!

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2005-03-12 4:01]

Hi Serge, your first butterfly shot - good one too. Those other 'heavies' will be hard acts to follow, but looking at this one, I'm sure you'll do well. Pretty blue, I like it.

J'ai vu le film, Serge, et on peut voir le papillon plus clairement dans ta photo que dans le film!!!
Ta composition donne un excellent résultat.
Un très joli travail.
Merci.

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1575 W: 5 N: 2181] (12252)
  • [2005-03-12 9:35]

Belle composition avec des couleurs splendides. Excellente exposition et un bon éclairage. Comme le souligne M Lortie, le muret rose fait très bien ressortir les couleurs de ce magnifique papion.

Félicitations et bonne journée.

Magnifique.
L'intensité de la lumière est à coint juste qu'on a envie de toucher les ailes de velour.
La petite fleur juste à côté du papillon donne un petit quelque chose de plus à la composition.
Bien fait !

Composition:***
Technical quality:****
Wow factor:**
Personality:*****

Very nice composition, but the fly is a bit lost. A bit closer would have been better IMO.
Well done.
TSF.

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2005-03-12 13:59]

Hello Serge, nice picture of this beautiful butterfly and a movie star in out midst. I'm pleased that this is your first butterfly picture, I hope there are more to come. I would have liked to be closer to it but I don't know hoe close you can get with that lens. Great shot.

Hi Serge
I like this, it is in scale and context, and the b'fly has lovely vibrant colours, a good post . You can zoom in more with the crop tool and fill more of the frame, go on, give it a try, I'm sure there is enough detail. TFS

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