Nailed the Danaus chrysippus, TeLyds!

[Romy Ocon]

Hehehe...... pardon the shameless enthusiasm, but it's not everyday that I get a shot at a wild creature in its habitat with results I'm very happy with.



I was bumming around my garden this morning when this Danaus chrysippus (thanks for the ID on the previous one, TeLyds) alit on top of the red pepper plant (siling labuyo) we are growing. It stayed long enough for me to take about half a dozen shots, even allowing me aperture and flash strength adjustments in the middle of the shooting.

I like this shot very much because a lot of things went according to how I hope it should be. It's full frame (absolutely not a single pixel thrown away) with good pixel-level sharpness, shooting angle is near the insect's eye level, and I got the fill-in lighting level I want. The leaf at the lower right hand corner leads the eye to the beautiful subject, while the red pepper bulb (about 3-4 mm wide in actual size) near the lower left corner balances the composition. I like the clean BG too, with just enough hue variation to make it more interesting over a plain one.



1DM2 + 100 2.8 USM macro, 1/125, f/8, ISO 640, AI servo, Sigma EF-500 DG Super flash in M mode (1/32 power), hand held, resized full frame:

[Carmela Balcazar]

Love the details! The bulb gives me a perspective of scale. Ganda!

[Romy Ocon]

Aug 11, 2008 1:42:57 GMT Carmela Balcazar said:

Love the details! The bulb gives me a perspective of scale. Ganda!

Thanks, Mela!

To balance the beauty of the butterfly, here are some from the opposite end of the scale, all from yesterday's sortie at my garden.


1DM2 + 100 2.8 USM macro + 37 mm ET, 1/50 sec, f/8, ISO 640, AI servo, Sigma EF-500 DG Super flash in M mode (1/16 power), tripod/ball head:






1DM2 + 100 2.8 USM macro + 37 mm ET, f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO 640, AI servo, Sigma EF-500 DG Super flash in M mode (1/32 power), hand held, near full frame, length of bug is circa 7-8 mm:





40D + 100 2.8 USM macro + 37 mm ET, f/8, ISO 640, 1/50 sec, built-in flash at - 2/3 FEC, AI servo, tripod/ball head:

[Lydia Robledo]

So the love bug has bitten you, Ka Romy. Your D. chrysippus butterfly is ready to go. It is actually in a battered state already. Watch out for the fresh one. When you happen to be in the vicinity of Festival Mall, park where the Ivory plants are (they are used as a hedge around the mall, with big leaves and white hard flowers. The egg, the larva, pupa may also be there-- then you have the complete life-cycle. He, he... if people find you weird waiting for a bird, looking for the butterfly in all stages might make you a celebrity. GO MACRO! telyds