the monarch by summerfield

the monarch

one item off my bucket list for this year, a butterfly photo. this was last saturday when partner and i bummed around the beaches.

actually this was on the way home, we passed by a private marina. i was desperately trying to capture a dragonfly in flight when i turned and saw this little bugger. it teased me quite a few times, like i would get near it, it would stay still and just at the moment that i thought i got it focused in my camera it flew away. but i got a few good shots.

mind you, i still have a lot of things listed in my bucket list to take photos of but life gets in the way.

thank you very much, my friends, for your views and kind comments; know that they are much appreciated.
Life keeps doing that! I have an album cover project that my nephew and I actually built something in craft sticks to shoot..but I need to finish it in GIM P and no time! And I have some other things I want to try with long exposures...but no time. Oh well. This monarch photo is GORGEOUS! Love the soft background!
August 21st, 2012  
Beautiful capture ... stunning pov, colors and clarity!! So exciting to find these guys and "stalk them!" You're so right tho, summerfield. Life does get in the way sometimes. I've got a busy August ahead of me so my shots will be hit and miss...but, it's no more busy than anyone else's, I guess. I digress. Love your Monarch!!
August 21st, 2012  
fav, great capture, worth the effort!
August 21st, 2012  
I hope I never finish my bucket list. Nice monarch shot.
August 21st, 2012  
fave for me, just beautiful
August 21st, 2012  
Love love love this!! Fav'd :-D
August 21st, 2012  
@espyetta - get on it or it will be winter, then you'd really lose momentum. thank you, MB.
August 21st, 2012  
Great capture!
August 21st, 2012  
@karenann - thank you, KA. yup, busy days. partner just reminded me of our schedule. can you believe it? he made a schedule of places and events until september where he would drive me so i can take a million more photographs. drat!
August 21st, 2012  
@sunnygreenwood - thank you, anne, that's very kind and generous of you. much appreciated, my friend.
August 21st, 2012  
@jannkc - thank you, jann. that bucket list, the moment i cross out one, two gets added at the bottom!
August 21st, 2012  
@sarasdadandmom - terry, my friend, thank you for that very generous and kind gesture. i like it!
August 21st, 2012  
@socalgal - thank you, patty, so kind of you. much appreciated.
August 21st, 2012  
@pamfromcalgary - thank you, pam.
August 21st, 2012  
Great capture Summerfield. That is still on my list
August 21st, 2012  
This is beautiful. I try not to plan so much that I miss the impromptu moment but so cool when they both come together
August 21st, 2012  
It looks like it's posing for you! Beautifully captured. 8)
August 21st, 2012  
Very cool
August 21st, 2012  
lovely shot
August 21st, 2012  
@bkbinthecity - thank you, brian.

@pandorasecho - thank you, dixie. i try not to plan either. but in the beginning of the year, i made a list of things i've seen around 365 that i thought i'd like to try. these insect shots are quite difficult because the butterfly and dragonfly move too fast, the mosquitoes bite, the fly is gross, the bees and the wasps sting. but if i'm presented with a good opportunity, there are times i grab it by the neck, provided i don't fall on mud or anything. :-)
August 21st, 2012  
@myautofocuslife - thank you, livia. it wasn't posing for me, just teasing the hell out of me, but i had my 200mm lens on so i was able to zoom in on it without getting too close and scaring it away. i still regretted not having gotten the shot of the flying dragonfly. i was close but no cigar!

August 21st, 2012  
@abhijit - thank you.

@steeler - thank you, howard. are the ladies well yet?
August 21st, 2012  
i know we are not supposed to be jealous here but, oh my, i am. i can not get on of these for the LIFE OF ME! fav, soooo wonderful! what else can i say?
August 21st, 2012  
This is so beautiful - love the focus and DOF!

It's on my list but perhaps it'll get bumped to 2013?? No luck for me in 2012 - flying critters are soooo fast!

So are you going to do the new camera settings challenge 11?
I'm telling you since you have the same camera - I had no idea our camera could do a double exposure and it's so EASY!!
August 21st, 2012  
Wow what a wonderful shot, great colour and focus.
August 21st, 2012  
@catsmeowb - aww, come on! you'll be able to catch one one day. this was totally unexpected. and now that you have a faster camera, it will be easier. you'll see. thank you for always being there, camille.
August 22nd, 2012  
butterflies and sunflowers my favorites.... love your monarch ... got one today as I was taking train track pics...congrats on the new camera
August 22nd, 2012  
@myhrhelper - thank you, kathy. it was a serendipitous circumstance. i was going to photograph the CN tower in the background, the waterway in the middle and tall weeds in front of me. i was using the 200mm lens when i saw this big dragonfly just buzzing around. i was going trying to do panning shots but partner, who was in the car, called out and pointed at this little guy. i had to chase this a few times but then i realized i could zoom in (duh!) so i was able to get a few good shots.

now, CSC#11. i experimented with the image overlay function and i got it going. my problem is i can't open the files (they're in raw or NEF) and apparently my photoviewer does not support NEF files. when i uploaded it on ribbet, it came out tiny and when i enlarge it, it's all pixel'd out. aaargh! i will try to upload it on pixlr.com and see what happens.
August 22nd, 2012  
very nice my friend...
how ya been? long time no email....
August 22nd, 2012  
@summerfield I think you could download them straight to Ipiccy or Picmonkey. I just use "fine" but I download them on an external drive I purchased. I never looked at the files in menu so now this opened a whole new world for me!
August 22nd, 2012  
@danig - hey, DG. thanks a bunch. going crazy but fine. you?
August 22nd, 2012  
@myhrhelper - hahaha! epic fail for me. ipiccy doesn't want to upload NEF. i think i will try again tomorrow. i will use 'fine' or maybe i will try to use normal jpg see how it goes. i've finished my first roll of film, i'll have it processed tomorrow first thing. hehehe! i'm excited what i've done with it.
August 22nd, 2012  
already crazy and fine. thanks ;-)
August 22nd, 2012  
Beautiful capture, focus is spot on, great lighting, composition and pov...Fav and follow =)
August 23rd, 2012  
awe so cute its showing off their colors for us
August 23rd, 2012  
Very pretty! Check another one off your list! Well done!
August 23rd, 2012  
Beautiful capture. Great color and dof. Focus is perfect.
September 10th, 2012  
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