Gary’s group is weighted heavily toward one or two aspects of butterfly photography (fair enough, it’s his group!) and the ‘Top Quality’ bit refers to those aspects. Any one of us could perfectly legitimately create a TQBBI group with the weighting in a different area (behaviour/ecological interest...

millerd wrote: ↑Tue Oct 13, 2020 8:42 pm "Photography is a creative pursuit, and trying to define creativity by rules is never wise." Nice! Sums things up perfectly! Be as creative as you like, but if an image is blurred, un-sharp, or has blown out whites, etc, it will be a technical fail...

If we all took a wonder around the Tate Modern together, I'm sure the "is it art" debate would soon pop up. I know for me, Damien Hirst for example, is a talentless fraud. But that freedom to do just about anything in art, doesn't really transfer over to photography. While there is room fo...

No not my opinion, its a photography group, not a natural history group. Rarity of species, behaviour etc, have nothing to do with what images are excepted into the group. Its purely down to quality of image. If you want to change the rules of photography best of luck with that.

Regards Gary

Just like to say that TQBBI, is what it says in the title. Along with the more traditional macro shots, there are plenty of artistic images, especially of late. But what you will not find, is any sub standard, technically poor images in the group. It’s a group for technical advanced macro photograph...

Get an entry level DSLR, Canon or Nikon.

Its a good image, I like Andy browns edit. I think Andy has done a bit of digital gardening, better that than disturbing the butterfly. Agree with Jacks rule of thirds and all that. Rarely does a butterfly image work, with the subject slap bang in the middle.


Regards Gary

What Pete said its the way to go.

800 x 1024 pixels is plenty enough for viewing pictures on a pc screen. Even when I was in a camera club, competition entries projected onto a big screen, were restricted to 768 x 1024.

Regards Gary

Way back, we used to run monthly competitions, but during the off season ( October- March) we ran themed competitions. Before we come up with some potentially great new categories, only to find we receive just a couple of entries. It could be worth the time trawling through them, to see what categor...

Hi Rolf,

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/competit ... ?year=2013

2013, 3rd place overall, the judges do appreciate other styles. But no one successfully nailed a shot like Neil’s before, or since.

Cheers Gary

Hi Pete Smith. How many have been taken with compact or bridge, not many. In the right hands, you can get images like those that win from a bridge camera with a close up lens. But it has to be in the right hands. Top end DSLRs are more powerful, and rugged than entry level models. But you don’t get ...

 All the relevant conservation land owners, should get together and put a restraining order on this idiot. That way he could be arrested for even being on a reserve. 


Regards Gary

I haven't looked for tripods for a couple of years. Manfrotto do some cheaper models these days, :shock: https://www.manfrotto.co.uk/compact-light-black https://www.manfrotto.co.uk/compact-action-black-tripod £50 for a Manfrotto tripod and head, is very good, and direct from the manufacturer, can't ...

There are also some very nice butterfly pictures here https://www.flickr.com/groups/2787198@N24/

Regards Gary

I have sold one or two used Manfrotto tripods on ebay, I think I got around £60 for them, I think used could be your best bet. Its not worth scrimping too much, as you will only end up buying again, and again.

Regards Gary

I always respect Mikes advise, but I always think there is one major problem when you stray away from Canon / Nikon,.......lenses :!: All DSLRs regardless of brand, that have been produced in the last 6 years or so. Can in the right hands produce great images. All brands have some great, and some no...

Hi Kev, You will no doubt find using a DSLR again, rather heavy compared to you bridge. Not sure why you moved from DSLR to a bridge, but I would hazard a guess that weight was one of the factors. With that in mind, and as you are already looking at Canon. You should also consider the Canon 100D. At...

Hi Wilfred,

Welcome to UK Butts.

Lets have a link to your Flickr site then

Regards Gary

Congratulation Pete.

Regards Gary