Butterflies and Wasp

Jerry Snider · Jul 16, 2005

Three from this morning, on an apple spearmint plant. Don't know cultivated flowers so does anyone know anything about this plant? Whatever it is, I want some to plant behind the new home to draw bugs for photographing. This plant draws just about every type of insect--have counted at least 15 different butterflies, wasps, bees, ants, flies and assorted other critters.
Hope these are worthwhile. Am not certain of the id of the azure butterfly.

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I suspect that I am abusing my privledges on this site. If so, please advise and I will certainly cut back on pics!! I suspect you folks are after quality not quantity

!!

My best,
Jerry Snider

Gilles · Jul 16, 2005

Jerry they are very nice, did you had your camera check for focus problem? or was it just choosing the right options in the camera that made the difference?

Jerry Snider · Jul 16, 2005

Gilles,
I haven't had the camera checked yet but hope to send it in in another week or so. I shoot an awfully lot of pics to get the few good ones--far more than I do with the D70. In using a focus chart, the D70 seems to be right on, the D2X seems to front focus ca 2-4 mm with three of my lenses. This doesn't sound like much, however when doing macros 2-4 mm can be a heck of a lot of front focus!! Since the subjects for most of the macros I do involve some slight movement, either on the part of the critter or breezes moving the plants slightly, I really can't judge whether the good ones are due to proper focusing or whether I just happened to get lucky. I tend to oversharpen to get what I want. But as I stated, when using a focus chart with everything lined up, lens parallel, 45 deg. angle (Measured), fill the lens with the chart, I get slight front focusing. Guess I am a bit shy re sending the camera in since I don't want it to be returned in worse shape than when I sent it!
Jerry Snider

Gilles · Jul 16, 2005

Jerry this afternoon i am going to my sister house, the house is near the water on the countryside, she has a lot of flower and birds, that will be the place to really make some test. I am relatively new to Dslr and it's a great step from the 5700.

Lisa · Jul 16, 2005

Jerry:

Those are some beautiful images! How close were you to the butterflies?
I really like the wasp image as well. Until I started doing some macro work, I had no idea that wasps could be found on flowering plants.

Jerry Snider · Jul 16, 2005

Lisa said:
Jerry:

Those are some beautiful images! How close were you to the butterflies?
I really like the wasp image as well. Until I started doing some macro work, I had no idea that wasps could be found on flowering plants.

I suppose I was 20-24" from the butterflies and wasps with the 200 micro.
Wasps are quite common on certain flowers. However, this spearmint plant seems to act lik catnip--to insects! Here is another wasp with similar coloration to the Potter Wasp, although the mid section is not as constricted and the stripe pattern seems to be different. May just be male and female differences? Don't know for certain. Am not a wasp person.

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Jerry Snider

Lisa · Jul 16, 2005

Wonderful image! I'm not a big fan of wasps, but there are so many varieties to be found and they make some interesting macro challenges. I've got to say, I've NEVER seen one like the ones you have posted. Very interesting, indeed.