| Actual Image
The Blue Morpho (20)
sergegagne
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 150 W: 1 N: 136]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif) (401) | 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
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