The Butterfly Milkweed in my garden has been blooming for a couple of weeks and I’ve tried repeatedly to get some photos that I like. We’ve also had rain and heavy dew several times, so getting them nicely wet has been part of my push. Here are three that I like, with the third shot being a different plant, where there’s no red in the flower petals. All views are stacks of between 15 and 20 shots. In spite of the name, I have yet to see a butterfly land on any of these.
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Mark, these are some fine looking shots. Not familiar with the Butterfly Milkweed, but they are pretty, even if the Butterflies don’t seem to find them attractive. The details that you were able to obtain is really impressive. Maybe one of these days, if my back will let me stay in the position enough to get that many shots to stack, I will have to try it. The water droplets with their refractions are really sharp as well as the blossoms, all the way through the blooms. Great job. 
These are beautiful Mark. I like all three of the photos because each one has a different dynamic to it, their own character if you will. I’m curious Mark, when you stack this many photos, do you use a focusing rail?
All three are gorgeous, Mark, but the composition of number 3 seems to work best for my taste with number 1 second. A very neat flower.
Beautifully done. All are great looking, but #3 is my favorite. Well stacked and sharp. water drops add magic.
Linda, I do all of my focusing by hand. With a small aperture, I can usually make the smallest possible focus change and get enough focus overlap for the stack to work, even at high magnification.
Thanks Mark, good to know.
From the perspective of the viewer, I prefer #3. All of the images are technically well done, but the composition is more simple in the third image and the details of the water droplets more prominent.
I guess I’m partial to the first one. I like the dark green background and the flowers look like crowns with diamonds on top.
Mark,
All of these are wonderful, but #3 is definitely my favorite. Everywhere I look there are these gorgeous water drops clinging to the flower petals in all these precarious positions making me wonder how they are hanging on. The color palette of orange and green works beautifully together. Great job on the stacking BTW.
These are gorgeous Mark. I especially am drawn to #3. The details of the water droplets and the close-in view of the flower petals make for nice repeating patterns. Overall it has a really playful feeling. Well done, especially for the number of shots, all hand-held! Very impressive!
Mark: Nice work on all three. I do think #3 is my favorite with my only hesitation being that I wish the frame was completely full of the flowers. There are only a few butterflys that host on milkweed; Monarchs, Queens and Viceroys are the only ones I’m sure of. Ours is a slightly different variety but it’s my understanding that any milkweed will work as hosts. I have seen many other species nectar on the flowers. Top notch images and great effort on all three. >=))>