Actually, this is a well-done photo. The central placement of the subject is well chosen, especially in relation to the leaf shape, which is perfectly suited for the central orientation. The butterfly is entirely in the focal plane and the bokeh is appealing. So what speaks against the photo? Well, it fits - like many other photos too - not into the brief by the little too obvious digital post-processing. At least the white balance of the butterfly doesn't match the white balance of the rest of the photo.
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This photo truly captivates with the butterfly placed in the yellow colored spot of a blurred flower. The grasses in the foreground and background look like very delicate brushstrokes. In addition, the stem coming out of blur and the very subtle flares enhance the painterly impression even more. Very well done!
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***This contest is open to subscribers (members on the Challenger, Pro and Master subscription tiers). However if you're not a paying subscriber you can still purchase entries for £2 (GBP) per image.*** Our judges Perdita and Henrik want to see natural macro subjects - insects, flowers, mushrooms etc. - but not just shown in a documentary way or magnified as large as possible. A painterly or fairytale-like impression can be accomplished through in-camera techniques, without using post-processing like filters or image manipulation. Using a wide aperture and experimenting with distances from lens-to-subject and subject-to-background, a nice bokeh blurring out everything but the subject can be achieved. A soft light, like in the early morning hours or before sunset, can contribute a lot too, and most of the time it's good to choose a very low point of view. Just a reminder: please don't use filters, retouching, composing or other image manipulations in post-processing.
