Close Encounters

The low sun shining through the wings of this orange tip butterfly, combined with the wonderful, colourful bokeh from the trees and flowers behind it, make this a striking shot. An aperture of f/3.5 was just right, and the focusing is spot on.

This lizard is only present in the Sri Lankan rainforest, so dealing with the dark, damp conditions must have been a challenge. If you look closely you will see a mosquito feasting on its neck. Choosing a wide aperture has blown the background out of focus nicely. It’s a lovely study of green!

This image is a testament to the photographer’s patience and desire for perfectionism. The position of the brown angus butterfly is perfect, with the brightest part of the image right behind it. The bokeh is fantastic, and the aperture provides just enough depth of field to show the shapes of the foliage without making it distracting.

Lit by a torch, the shell of the snail is positively glowing here, and the markings are wonderfully clear. Keeping the background dark has added to the effect. It's great to see the top and bottom of the creeper receiving a splash of light too as this helps to balance the composition.

Who would have guessed that the tendrils of a cucumber plant unfurling could be quite so beautiful! This is a lovely, well-observed shot with a wonderful complementary background, and shows great understanding of depth of field. The shape is reminiscent of a musical note.

It’s best to choose a bright, but overcast, day with no wind when shooting flowers, so the photographer has done well to wait for the right conditions. However the background is distracting – the white daisy on the left attracts the eye, while the yellow of the background vetch competes with the main flower. The subject is also a little too central - cropping to portrait-format might help. The main vetch is lovely and sharp though, which is quite an achievement.