The Self Critic Shutterbug

At Butterfly Park, Bannerghatta, Bangalore

Tv: 1/250s; Av: F/3.5; f: 72mm(35mm-equiv: 624mm)

I took this photo at the Butterfly Park at Bannerghatta Biological park near Bangalore. I was surprised I even got this shot in the first place, since I never expected the butterfly to stay still for so long (I took quite some time adjusting the aperture, shutter-speed and most importantly, zooming in). But I’m glad this little insect did give me this pose since I loved the outcome – especially the largish eyes.

One thing I would improve in this snap is the background. The antennae of this butterfly are not clearly visible because of the dark background. Had I managed to get some lighter color in the back instead (maybe a leafy green), the antennae would have been more prominently visible. The other shortcoming is the focus. Some areas seem out of focus. Probably manual focus might have helped – but I did not bother with that since with so much zoom, it is difficult to adjust the manual focus.

On this visit, I also learned the difference between a butterfly and a moth (and I used to think they’re the same!!)

• Moths are nocturnal; butterflies are normally active during the day
• Moths have a bulbous tip to their antennae whereas butterflies have feathery or thin ones
• Moths spread out their wings when at rest. On the other hand, butterflies fold theirs.

So I can be pretty sure this insect that I captured is indeed a butterfly.

Tags: Bannerghatta, butterfly, close-up, insect, wildlife

Floral Windows

Tv: 1/100; Av: F/3.5; f: 13.5mm(35mm-equiv: 86mm)

This photo was taken at the Salzburg Castle. It was on a sunny winter morning. I just loved the “cheerful” mood of the flower pots arranged right at the window. I also think the reflection of the scenery in the open windows adds a nice touch. The “bubble” like object that you see in the window at your right hand side completes the picture. I don’t even know what it is – probably a lantern similar to the skylamps that we use for Diwali.

There are certain things I learned while editing this photo. The foremost is how cropping can be used to negate “crookedness” of some photos. The original snap is much larger and covers quite a bit of the roof and the ground. However, it is a bit slanted. I first thought I’d straighten the snap using tools like GIMP/Picasa. I finally decided to crop the photo instead.

I think the border that I added around this snap could have been better. Particularly, the color I chose for the border should have been something other than the boring black.

Tags: Europe09, floral, Salzburg, scenery, windows, winter