Your Favourite Photo of 2011

[Nick Broomer]

i could`nt decide wish was my favourite picture that i had taken this year, because i have quite a few that i really like. so i just chose this adonis blue, which was taken at denbie hill. one of my favourite places.

[P.J.Underwood]

I feel a Comma always photographs well,so here is one from me.
P.J.U.

[ChrisC]

and i can understand why. it's a lovely shot. i like partially open winged shots it shows the brilliance of the blue.

Chris

[ChrisC]

have only managed one comma shot this year that i'm happy with and took it this weekend funnily enough. could probably do with cropping to try and centre it but i'm too lazy

[Nick Broomer]

hi Chris

thankyou for your kind comment. your comma is really nice as well, but don`t be so lazy and trim it

[ChrisC]

trouble is i never know what's too much, critique welcome

[Nick Broomer]

hi again Chris

thats better, but i would of left the flower stem in the picture and trimmed as you have. my opinion. i sometimes trim a picture more than once, until i am happy with the end result. the main subject of the picture can be at the top, bottom, left or right as long as it looks right, as in the following picture i took at the weekend.

[celery]

There really are some great photos on this thread... I've thoroughly enjoyed looking at them all.

I also think it's interesting that many of people's personal favourites are not the standard 'butterfly on a stick' bokeh-macro-blurry-background kind-of-thing which is what we're told we should be aiming for.



I chose this one not just for the photo itself but because of the memories of a great day attached to it. It was taken at Prees Heath on the 19th of June - just after the travellers' camp had been evicted and there were fears that damage may have been done to the site. Thankfully the place was largely unaffected, and I saw what I think is the closest to a swarm of a single species that I've witnessed. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of silver-studded blues on the wing that day - up to 40 individuals in some small clumps of willowherb - and I spent a couple of blissful hours taking snaps, observing their behaviour and chatting to the few dog-walkers and afternoon strollers who happened to pass by. A sheer delight.

[celery]

I have an idea!

Since this thread has been so well-liked and supported (thanks for starting it ChrisC! ) - and everyone likes to post their photographs - perhaps we could make more along similar lines?

How about 58 new threads - ONE FOR EACH BRITISH SPECIES - where members could post their favourite photo they've taken this year? If they all had a similar titles, ie. 'Favourite Photo - Red Admiral' or 'Favourite Photo - Common Blue' then it wouldn't matter which member started them - we'd all know what the format was to be...

Any takers?...

[dilettante]

If we're doing celery's idea, I'd suggested phasing it: Rather than creating 58 new threads in one go, around three new threads a week would get us through the winter months nicely! That would need someone to coordinate it though, and I don't think I want to volunteer.

[Susie]

That sounds like a good idea. Should it be here or in the species section?

[MikeOxon]

Should it be here or in the species section?

I like your idea of making individual species into sub-topics within the Species forum, Susie.

When I first joined, I rather clumsily suggested a more 'ordered' arangement of topics, as it can be very difficult to re-find something interesting! I quickly learned that the 'easy going' nature of this site is one of its charms, but I still think a bit more organisation in the Species forum wouldn't be a bad thing.

I've found it useful to have the Sightings split up by month, as it helps to see what was about when, and this would be another step on the same lines.
Mike

ps is your latest avatar the true reflecton of your nature? - I'm thinking Shelob in Lord of the Rings!

[Goldie M]

I think your Idea is great, i couldn't wait to get my Green Veined White in. I spotted this one back in May and I love it. to me the GVW starts off the Spring Goldie M

[Lee Hurrell]

I think my favourite photo (from the UK, haven't finished France yet!) from this year is this male Emperor, taken 2nd July at Oaken Wood, Surrey.

There is a little story.

I saw my first iris in 2009 at Bernwood and photographed it with my pre-DSLR point and shoot. I was ever hopeful of seeing and photographing one last year (2010) now armed with a DSLR and while I saw quite a few, photo opportunities did not present themselves.

On this day, I had spent the morning at Oaken Wood in Surrey and met Dave Miller, John Bogle and a few others. It was an exciting morning, spent with Dave and another chap, clicking away at a grounded male who was very photogenic.

Dave and I then walked back toward Botany Bay and Dave left to go to his car. I walked back toward the triangle as I was parked at the other end of the wood and I found another male. I spent a good half an hour with him, just me and him, no-one else in sight. I carefully followed him up the track as he landed and moved on and at one point he circled round me - I must have been kneeling in bait earlier I think - and he landed on my jeans. I offered my finger and he accepted. I took a few photos one handed and this was my favourite.

And then suddenly he was gone, a little further than before, so I let him be, having shared a moment with His Majesty I will never forget.

[Goldie M]

Thats a great moment you've shared with us Lee, don't you think a series of Photo's about Fritilaries, Browns, Blues, etc would also be a good idea as well. The only trouble I suppose with that, is which part of the country you live in. It would be easier for some than others.Goldie M

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Lee

Lovely memory and picture. I can remember having a P.E. on my finger once, only the second one i had ever seen. Everyone else has a picture of it except me But i will always have the memory, if not a picture .

By the way the other chap you mention in short story was me.

hideandseek

[Mark Colvin]

Hi Lee,

You want to be careful what you put in writing!

I came across another male. I spent a good half an hour with him, just me and him, no-one else in sight.

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

PS Great Emperor shot though. I bet you were well chuffed ...

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Mark - I was well chuffed.

After moving to London and in desparate need of the countryside I was delighted to find Horsenden Hill - a little oasis in the borough of Ealing.

Being local, I used to go there a lot and saw some wonderful butterflies. Being an innocent country lad though, I got caught out one day and now will only go there with company and ideally a large dog.

Shame.

Iris post edited to avoid confusion!

LH

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Goldie and hideandseek - very kind of you to say.

I do like the idea of the threads, Goldie and would put in a few of my memories!

hideandseek - I've just been back to my diary and revisited the post from that day - that must make you Nick! A grand morning, that was for sure.

Cheers

Lee

[millerd]

I had no idea you had such a splendid encounter after we parted company. What a lovely story.

As I arrived at my car, I encountered a tiny brand new second brood Wood White male, almost completely white and an amazingly delicate contrast to the Emperors. It is such a good location, to host these two such contrasting butterflies at the same time.

Dave