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Aurora.


Aurora.
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter Stoeckl (peter_stoeckl) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1738 W: 291 N: 4005] (11530)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2016-04-12
Categories: Insects
Camera: iPhone 6
Exposure: f/2.2
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2016-04-17 15:27
Viewed: 2763
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
... taken by smartphone.

It was a nicely sunny day a few days ago, inviting for a little break at noon to go out with the dog for a short walk. In the forest meadows nearby a few Orange Tip butterflies were restlessly fluttering up and down in search for partners.

For a moment, when the sun was briefly covered by a cloud, one of them sat down in the grass in front of us. With the sun returning, the butterfly remained in resting position, slowly opening its wings to the warming sun.

That was very beautiful to see.
And I had no camera with me.

So why not use the smartphone camera?

When seated with open wings, Orange Tips are considered by many photographers to be a rather difficult subject. In the hard contrast of sunlight at noon, the white scales of wings directly exposed to the sun are always likely to get overexposed and badly burned. With a smartphone camera there was very little to be expected - but also nothing to lose, anyway.

Here is the result. It may be interesting to read the camera settings chosen by smartphone software when directing the focus to the target from very short distance by one finger on the touch screen - and no further options available than just point and shoot with the smartphone camera's fixed wide angle focal length.

The camera:
Apple iPhone 6, 3264x2448 pixels; sRGB, F/2.2, 1/1799 sec., ISO-32, fixed focal length 4mm (equiv.29mm), point measuring; no flash.

Postwork:
Photoshop CS4, slightly zoomed in to approx. 120%, cropped, brightness, contrast and saturation slightly reduced, downsized to 800 pixels width, selectively resharpened.

P.S.:
The butterfly has been presented and described here quite often - so a brief biography will do:

Aurora (Anthocharis cardamines L., Orange Tip) is common in most parts of temperate Europe from the plains up into the mountains where its caterpillar feeding plant Cardamine pratensis, the Cockoo flower, is growing in unfertilized humid meadows near the edges of forests. Only the male butterflies are showing bright orange tips on their forewings, female ones do not. Males usually are emerging a few days before the females. Butterflies are to be seen from the end of March into June, depending on climate.

P.P.S.:
"Classical" cameras with good handling, good lenses, optical zoom or a choice of lenses of different focal length will never cease to be a blessing. Everyone of us who is trying to achieve good images will agree.
But in case of emergencies, with no better equipment at hand for the moment, for subjects that are patient enough to allow a very close approach - smartphones might at least give us a chance to do some photographic documentation.

Thank you for visiting.
Have a nice week.
CeltickRanger, ramthakur, marius-secan, bungbing, KOMSIS, anel, Hormon_Manyer has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To anel: ... wieder Bilder.peter_stoeckl 1 05-03 11:36
To ramthakur: iPhone ... macro imagingpeter_stoeckl 2 04-23 22:51
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Peter

You have choose a fine POV for a wonderful perspective effect.
excellent focus, sharpness, details, lovely color tones, TFS

Asbed

A great success with iPhone. Peter. I too have tried mine for macro imaging but with limited success. You have to get really close to the subject.
Reading your note in conjunction with the picture gives a clear indication it is the man behind a device that counts.
The Orange Tip is one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world particularly with its wings open and you have gifted us this one.
Thanks and regards.
Ram

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2016-04-18 2:24]

Hello Peter,
Nice close photo with your iPhone with an excellent sharp focus on the head. Beautiful light and colours. Pleasing dark background and composition.
Regards,
Peter

Hello Peter,
What a superb capture. Despite you take this shot with your phone it has a good quality. This specie is always on the move...It is difficult to take a shot.
Marius.

Ciao Peter, great macro of lovely butterfly, fantastic bright colors, splendid light, fine details and excellent sharpness, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2016-04-18 8:46]

Hi Peter,great shot made with the i-phone! A very difficult specie to take because very nervous,you were lucky and you cuaght very well this opportunity with the open wings,i like it! Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

hallo Peter
very nice composition toshow us this beautiful coloured butterfly
thanks gr lou

Hello Peter,
Beautiful colored butterfly and well captured. Nice dark surrounding. Quite well details but like its POV.
Thanks and have a nice WE,
Srikumar

Hello Old friend, long time no see .
I just popped in and what did I see, a amazing picture taken by a smartphone, the male of a orange tip is one of the most difficult butterflies to get in the early spring time, they always flying around, never sit until they found a female. I take my hat off. :-)
Nice sharp with natural colours, stands out nicely from the soft BG.
Well done Peter

Regards
Gert

Hello Peter,

Lovely picture of this beautiful butterfly with great colors and details,
Excellent POV and BG, very well exposure, a good shot take by the iPhone,
Thanks for sharing,
Best Regards,
Bungbing.

  • Great 
  • KOMSIS Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 820 W: 0 N: 2419] (10674)
  • [2016-04-26 7:49]

Hallo Peter,
Very nice macro photo with your iPhone ..
Very good shot of this beauty butterfly. Superb POV, good details and nice and smooth BG.
Best wishes,
Seyfi

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3053 W: 3 N: 8715] (40574)
  • [2016-05-01 6:14]
  • [+]

Lieber Peter,
Mit meinem guten Fotoapparat hab ich keine besseren Bilder gemacht von diesem schwer zu fotografierenden Schmetterling. Also chapeau für diese Aufnahme.
Aurora hat mich dieses Jahr zur Verzweiflung gebracht :-),bin eben nicht mehr so schnell.
Gut zu sehen, dass Du wieder Bilder zeigst.
Herzlich grüsst
Anne

Hi Peter,
Surprisingly good photo from a smartphone camera. No overexposure at all, and eventhough the closer (right) wing is out of focus, there are beautiful details on the left one.
Please, if you can, come more often to TN. We miss you and your photos.
Kind regards from the Hiberno-Ungarisch, László

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