The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Other recent butterfly photos reminded me I had this from last summer. I have no idea exactly what lovely bit of rotting debris this Tiger Swallowtail is on, but it couldn’t get enough of it. I noticed it flitting around in a backwater on the Spirit river and got the kayak positioned so I could duck under some plants to get a clear view. That sharp bit on the right looks like a bird’s beak, but I don’t think that’s what it is. Who knows? Butterflies need a lot of nutrients besides what they get from nectar and even though this looks odd, it’s better than photographing them on poop, which they also seem to really like.
Specific Feedback
I did my best to get the boat into a place where I had a reasonably clear view and I didn’t get rid of everything, but I still think it looks ok. Thoughts? I remember desaturating the greens a bit so they wouldn’t be so overwhelming.
Lr for all processing I think, lots of masking and a crop. Also wb adjustment and some work on the wings to bring them to life. Some kind of denoise although I can’t remember if it was native or an outside app. It was pretty dim where I was and the kayak was moving a little and so was the Swallowtail.
Critique Template
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Very nicely done, Kris. Beautiful detail in the swallowtail and a nice setting. It might just be an optical illusion, but this feels to me as if a bit of ccw rotation might make it feel more balanced.
Wow! If I ever got that close to one of these guys I would be too excited to get a decent shot. Wonderful detail! I wonder about pushing up the color in the wings, or is the underside this subdued? It’s a fairly busy setting and could be worth some cleanup. The new AI stuff might make removing the FG grass stems practical. And some blur or tonal softening of the BG in the top half could be interesting. I want to keep my eyes on the prize!
He’s a beauty, Kris, and you did a fine job from a moving boat. It’s nice when you find one coming back to the same area for feeding as it gives us a few more chances to get a shot. I wish the oof grass wasn’t in front of his beautiful wing but hey, you are out in nature and that’s what it gives us sometimes.
Kris: It’s bad enough that I’m always green with envy over your kayak adventures and then when you get such a terrific subject and capture you’re just showing off. Tiger Swallowtails are pretty rare around here so that makes this a special treat. Most excellent. >=))>
Kris, you’ve got a fine look at this Tiger. It’s colors look fine to me. They do tend to come in a variety of yellow saturations. I could wish that the ooff leaf coming over its wing weren’t there, but you did very well under challenging circumstances and that’s a subtle, minor nit. You’ve got excellent sharpness in the BF.
Thanks @Dennis_Plank, @Diane_Miller, @Shirley_Freeman, @Bill_Fach & @Mark_Seaver - I’m glad you enjoyed this one. Tigers are common here in summer and I love seeing them flit and float around. The kayak, as always, is my joy and I can’t wait until I can get back out on the water. Have a short trip booked to the Apostle Islands with a friend (Lake Superior is about 2 1/2 hours north of my house). We’ll see what pictures I can get if any. Usually on these kinds of tours, it’s hit and miss. As for the butterfly, I think I’ll leave it the way it is for now, and I don’t really mind some of the vegetation around it since it was so tangly where it was feeding that it reminds me of my water ballet trying to get to it. LOL
Lovely shot, Kris - with super sharpness on the body. If it had been a flower, I would have gardened away that stray grass blade on the left (if I wasn’t in a canoe!). By the same token, I’d clone it out here. But I completely get your reason for leaving it in.
