Red admiral butterfly

Lord Vetinari

Was just spraying some camelia leaves with sugar/honey spray when this red admiral butterfly came down to feed - think it had been waiting.
First 3 natural light/fill flash, last 4 full flash
Mix of 40D/Tamron90 and 5Dmk2/MPE-65 shots.

Brian V.

JoshH

Very nice last one's my favourite, he looks a bit like me when someone uses full flash - though he got his grub

jackiejay

Amazing set so you use a honey mixture?what amounts of each and does it just attract Butterflys?

OnlyElise

While all of these are fantastic, I especially like the last one. The detail you caught, especially on the proboscis, is just incredible. Did you use a tripod?

Lord Vetinari

Thanks for looking and commenting everyone
Should add that the later shots do have some hand focus stacking.

Jackie J - just a heaped teaspoon of sugar, heaped teaspoon of honey plus 50ml water microwaved for 20 to 30 secs and then stir to dissolve completely. It attracts all flying bugs that feed on nectar - bees,flies,hoverflies and wasps and butterflies apparently. I use it during the winter period by spraying a little on a sunlit camelia bush to attract the few bugs that are still sround.

Elise - No I don't use a tripod, I was able to carefully hold the plant near the butterfly and rest the camera lens on my hand. I do often use a plastic coated beanpole which I grip in my left hand along with a bit of camera to stabilise it. A tripod tends to be too slow to set up for moving insects.
Brian V.