From my garden this morning (20th Sept 2008)

[deltinglass]

Went out this morning to take some photos of my flowers before the wind flattens them completely - the butterfly was a bonus so I have posted my photos here in the flower section. Hope you like them

A butterfly on my buddleia which is still flowering. Although most of the buddleia flowers have died back now with all the wind and the rain that we have had lately, the butterflies around today still managed to get a meal I think






And a butterfly on my autumn crocus!


Autumn crocus flowers on their own:


And finally a lily flower, I planted new 6 bulbs this spring but only seem to have got 4 flowers - any chance of the others coming up next year I wonder?

[benjiesmum]

Oh gosh they are crocuses! Fantastic DL!!!!

[bramble]

A beautiful set of photos DL. The autumn crocus are a beautiful colour. The lily flower will probably double up for next year, thats what happened to mine, i planted six a few years ago and have lots and lots now.It has flowered quite late in the year unusual to see them in bloom in September.

[Fred Asparagus]

Great Photos Deltinglass, I love the the ones with the butterfly, and adore the second from last photo of the crocus. keep snapping and showing them on the forum ;D

[deltinglass]

Thanks benjiesmum, Bramble and Fred - glad you like my pics ;D

I love the colour of my autumn crocuses too, so vibrant when there's sometimes not a lot left blooming in the garden by this time of year. I also have a paler lilac coloured one that I got from a friend last year but it's in a pot at the front so I forgot to photo that one today - maybe tomorrow if it's still a nice day
By the way, I think autumn crocuses are also known as "naked ladies" because they have no leaves when they flower now - they have huge leaves in the Spring though so they are well clothed then, maybe they need them more then as sometimes there's still snow around! ;D

Thanks for the tip re my lilies Bramble, I think mine are just flowering now as it was probably a bit later when I set them them, I only ordered them in late Spring I think and just potted them up so maybe they will multiply if I leave them alone and don't go digging them out of their pots this year

Glad you like my photos Fred, I do sometimes worry a bit incase I boring people with them but I just like sharing them with you all on here - almost as much as I like seeing everyone else's photos

[bod]

You're lucky to still have so much colour in your garden, my buddleia is over and done with now. The butterfly is lovely, not seen that many this year, in fact only really seen them on the buddleia.

Those crocuses are a beautiful rich colour and must brighten your garden up no end.

[Fifi]

Ooooooh.... gorgeous pics, DL! Very nice. Like the close-ups of the butterfly, especially the one with the green background which contrasts with the red on the wing. And the crocuses with the dark background is very rich and dramatic.

[deltinglass]

Thanks bod and Fi - glad you liked my photos ;D

I have a couple of small clumps of these autumn crocuses bod, I dug them up to separate them up a bit a couple of years ago but some of the ones I replanted never come up last year so it's good to see them flowering so well again this year

[deltinglass]

A couple of butterflies again from yesterday - think this is probably the end of them for this year.

[benjiesmum]

Those backgrounds really make those photos DL. What is the pinky orangy peachy thing behind the butterfly??? It sure looks great as a composition.

[aitch]

As ever DL your photos are really good of the Butterflies, we have had very few of any sort down here this year.
During my sabbatical away from posting on this forum I know a great deal of discussion went on regarding the complex art of photography.
Further to Benjiesmums query on the background to your pics, did you have a setting in use on your camera which takes the picture with a very wide aperture, this causes a very short field of view and would cause even the flower head it is feeding on to be out of focus behind the butterfly.
PS. Or should that be Depth of Field

[deltinglass]

Hi again Benjiesmum and Aitch and thank you

To be honest these are the best photos that I have ever managed to take of butterflies so I think the honour really has to go to my camera and not to me! ;D

It's taken me a long time and a lot of learning mostly from online articles and forums but also from reading library books and photography magazines to sort of grasp the basics of mastering my camera - but my camera is still really the master even after all my learning so far!

The secret of getting the background blurred and out of focus is to try and aim your camera along the same level as the butterfly where possible with a lot of space before and behind - I used my Canon 400D camera for all these photos and a Sigma 70 - 300mm lens on the macro setting. In addition I use aperture priority and an F number of between 7 & 9 usually - and the camera amazingly does the rest!

Once I have downloaded my photos to my computer I don't do much additional work other than maybe a slight level adjustment to bring out the colour tones, crop and then use a little sharpening sometimes if needed - this brings out the fluffy bits on the butterfly

Finally to answer Benjiesmum's question, the pinky background in the butterfly photo is just the out of focus bairn's slide in the garden next door - very handy for my butterfly background in the photo wasn't it? ;D

[maree]

Your photos are excellent dl. You're really getting to know your way roond your camera.......I think I'll need to take a leaf out of your book as I still haven't got to grips with the camera mr maree bought me nearly two christmases ago

[georgeg]

Hi. dl.
All these photo's of the butterfly are really very nice, I can't pick out which one I like best.. because they are all stunning..

[deltinglass]

Thanks George, glad you like them ;D