Description: This Monarch stopped by yesterday (July 16) to lay her eggs on the swamp milkweed. I’m not yet familiar enough with the Monarch’s migration patterns to know when to expect them here in Oklahoma, so I was surprised and happy to see her.
Specific Feedback Requested: Any
Pertinent technical details or techniques: Canon 60D, Canon 70-300mm IS USM @ 220mm, f/9.5, 1/1000 sec., ISO 3200, Hand Held. Processed in ACR and PSE 2020 for exposure and cropping. Topaz De-noise applied.
Is this a composite? No
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Terry, you are really getting the butterflies where you are at. I am so happy for you. I like the composition on this, with the leaning plant he is on. Normally I would want this cropped in to see the butterfly better, but I think I like this the way it is, without cutting off any of the leaves.
Thanks, Shirley. Yeah, I cropped it closer originally, but I didn’t like it as well. I just got another butterfly - I think it might be a Pipevine Swallowtail - on an Ironweed that just began to bloom. Photos to come!
Terry, this is a good look at this Monarch and it’s great to catch her laying an egg. I like your comp., although some might suggesting leaving out those old leaves near the bottom. She’s a local resident. In your (relatively southern) area, the Monarch migration won’t happen until October or even into November. In the largest view, there’s some posterization (especially in spots on her thorax) that makes her wing and thorax look just a touch soft.
Thanks for the critique and all the info, Mark. I had no idea what “posterization” was, so I Googled it, and then how to correct it. Thanks for introducing me to another component to add to my learning curve in Photoshop processing.
