Couple of natural light shots of a speckledwood butterfly.
Brian v.

Absolutley LOVE the perspective here .

They have a very funny look about them :)

Originally Posted by IPClark Absolutley LOVE the perspective here . They have a very funny look about them :)

Thanks Ian - they always seem to have a suprised look when you shoot them from the front
Brian v.

How do you get close enough to shoot such skittish creatures without frightening them away?

I'm used to skittish creatures - but they're much larger... horses.

They really have suprised look
btw great shots!

Thanks for the comments SG and Devil.

SG these particular butterflies are not that skittish- AFAIK they are territorial males and tend to stay around the same areas in the garden as long as they are getting direct sun. The only thing they are not keen on is flash which often startles them. I suspect they do get used to me as I often see what I think is the same butterfly for weeks at a time.
Brian v.

Originally Posted by Lord Vetinari Thanks for the comments SG and Devil. SG these particular butterflies are not that skittish- AFAIK they are territorial males and tend to stay around the same areas in the garden as long as they are getting direct sun. The only thing they are not keen on is flash which often startles them. I suspect they do get used to me as I often see what I think is the same butterfly for weeks at a time. Brian v.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Lord Vetinari I suspect they do get used to me as I often see what I think is the same butterfly for weeks at a time. Brian v.

not sure , but , i thing the angle from where you approach also matters
their natural predators come from above
if you approach them from below , they seem to be less scared , as the can easily escape

Originally Posted by basflt not sure , but , i thing the angle from where you approach also matters their natural predators come from above if you approach them from below , they seem to be less scared , as the can easily escape

Yes you are right, that tends to apply to any bug - plus keeping out of their light (ie do not shade them).
These butterflies though are a lot less jumpy than others butterflies in the garden.
Brian v.

Lovely shots. Ya know, I think this is the first time I have ever really seen or noticed a surprised look as I see here. Adds a lot of character to the butterfly.

Originally Posted by DaddyO Lovely shots. Ya know, I think this is the first time I have ever really seen or noticed a surprised look as I see here. Adds a lot of character to the butterfly.

Thanks Michael for the comments.
Brian v.