More Monarchs and Skippers

Here is one  more from last summer, I shot all these little guys along a major highway in Southern Indiana just outside Madison. It was in one of the highway right a ways and they replanted it all in blooming wildflowers and milkweed for all the butterflies that were migrating thru the area.

The field was teaming with butterflies and moths, finding a subject wasn’t the problem it was just trying to get one to sit still for bit that made it problematic !!

I was after the Monarch Butterfly that happened to be migrating thru this portion of the state  and there were many in the field.  I was able to pick and choose which ones I wanted to set up on. There were also many other moths that were making their way thru the field  and I was able to photograph them as well.

The photographs I am sharing came from that field and I can’t wait till late next summer to get back out there and try my hand at photographing these beautiful little gems. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed the images !!

 

                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                                              

                                         

Monarch in Butterfly Bush

Sitting here watching the weather advisories and warnings going up for our area so I thought it might be a good time to post another warm fuzzy summertime image.  I shot this beautiful little Monarch butterfly in my backyard last year as it set and fed on one of the butterfly bushes I planted  for that very reason.  Its nice when you plan on something happening and it actually works, the only problem is you still have to get the photograph right !!

Once again chasing butterflies has made me feel like Captain Ahab and his quest for the Great White Whale, except a little smaller and drier.  I guess getting one good shot for every 30-40 is not a bad ratio, I might not have gotten any.

But hey I did manage to capture a few and at least I have something to share with you now on this cold winter day. I hope you enjoy the image and thanks for stopping by !!

 

                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

Butterflies

Since I woke up to a dreary cold mid-winter Madison Indiana landscape I thought a nice warm spring pic would brighten up your day…at least it might mine !!

I shot this one early last May om beautiful day warm spring day somewhere in the eastern part of Jefferson County Indiana, I believe it was at Splinter Ridge Wildlife Area. The butterflies were on the move that day and no matter how hard I worked to get the right shot they were so spooky even the stateliest approach sent them scurrying for new flowers to feed on. It was the same pattern time after time, spot butterfly make my approach watch butterfly fly off.

After the continued futile effort of this method of photography I finally decided to just find a nice spot, open my diet coke and sit back and hope for the best at a predestined spot.  And to my complete surprise after just a few minutes these two beautiful  Great Spangled Fritillaries  landed directly in front of me and began to feed. Even though I was never able to get them with both faces in the frame the shot did come out quite well.

So I guess the moral of the story could be “good things come to those who wait” or  ” sit on butt open diet coke get lucky go home” I think in this instance more of the latter lol !!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.

 

                                                                                                                                                        

The Skipper brave and sure

Ok  I am sorry it was a poor attempt at humor, were not talking Gilligan’s Island, were talking Moths as in Skippers !!

Most of my macro work has been done with wildflowers and other domestic flowers but last summer I began experimenting with photographing butterflies and moths. It was a poor attempt mind you but at least I think I am heading in the right direction.

Shooting flowers is a piece of cake compared to shooting bugs and other little things that don’t comprehend what the phrase sitting still means, I know sometimes wind can be a factor for wildflowers, but things that fly off at the slightest movement can really test your photographic and mental patience.

As an example the Little Skipper I posted here only to took nearly 100 images and about a full hour to get right, I followed him way longer than he deserved, and that hour could have been spent doing something a little more concrete with my life….cutting grass or reading a book maybe.

But as you can see I think it worked out alright, except for the soar knees,ticks and frazzled nerves. It was probably a good thing I shot this little critter where no one could see me or I think I would have looked rather foolish chasing and cussing at this little guy. But after all the complaints I actually think I enjoyed myself with this new aspect of my photography….now if I can just get that tune out my head lol !!!

 

                                                                                                                                                                                  

“The Butterfly Flu”

Wouldn’t that be a much nicer name for this crap I am putting up with !!

Day 4 of the Swine Flu(I guess)experience, my son seems a bit better and now old dad is feeling his age. Best way to describe it is like having someone with a ball bat taking practice on your chest. I am either hot or cold  and the cough sounds like someone is strangling a seal !!

The good news is”‘CODEINE” what a wonderful invention, the only problem is I can’t operate heavy machinery while I am under its influence, so there goes that combine ride I was going to take later tonight.  I am actually starting to acquire a taste for Spongebob now, I think Patrick is my favorite character though, with the drugs and sickness influencing my mind I am now starting to compare the characters on Spongebob with people I actually know !!  I won’t share these with you but it has definitely helped with all this down time I am experiencing !

I found some butterfly shots I thought might brighten someones day(not mine) but at least it is something bright and cheery, and  no one can say I wasn’t trying to be positive !. I shot some of these late last summer while visiting my sister, I always love going there her husband makes the best wine, and I like visiting her as well !!

Shooting butterflies is not an easy task and people who consistently get great shots are to be applauded. This one has a bright spot in the left corner but for my first attempts I was pretty encouraged. I tried to stay away from flash by cranking up the iso and shooting in jpeg, but when all was said and done the flash seemed to be the best approach.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look !!