I spent ages trying to get a decent portrait of these delicate little creatures when we were in France, they were everywhere… I love Hummingbird Moths – we have a few in Bavaria too, but I have yet to manage to capture one perfectly. As you can see from my attempts below, the results weren’t amazing. My camera can’t cope with the speed of their wings (soon to be rectified with a new camera, can’t wait!) and their constant movement, and neither obviously can the photographer…
Awful… delete delete…
Nope, not quite there… Keep still please…
Getting better, but not good enough…
And on it went… I took around 50 pictures in all, and none of them good enough. But then, just as I was about to put the camera down, I looked up to see this…
Is there anything more delicate than a butterfly’s wings? They really do set them apart from all other insects don’t they? After all, to use the words of The Five Year Old – “without them they are just a thin spider”, not that he has ever deprived any poor creature of any wings or legs hopefully! It sat and posed quite happily, and for me this one picture made up for all of those of its frustrating smaller relations!
{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
Beautiful photo. Love the thin spider idea!
Thanks Louise! :)
Haha your five year old is really quite smart indeed, im sure with all your fab pictures you will get this shot in the end
Thanks Helen, too smart for his own good sometimes!! :D
Gorgeous! The lavender makes a perfect background. xx
Thank you! (: xx
A butterfly is a great choice of delicate! You were very patient trying to take the perfect photo of that hummingbird moth, x
Thank you! Patient, or stupid! :D
A lovely set of photo’s. So pleased you got your shot in the end x.
Thank you Lesley! Yes, I was grateful for the one decent one! :)
Wow those are beautiful photos and really do fit with the Gallery theme! Amazing!
Thanks Nikki :)
I think they’re all fnatastic pictures. I love the blurr on the wings.
Thank you, so glad someone likes them :D
I’ve often taken lots of photos too of one thing to get the perfect shot – well done on your patience. Beautiful purple colouring highlights the butterfly more and they are most definetly fragile x
Thank you very much! (:
Such fantastic photos! I really like the ones with the blurred wings – catching the rapid movement. Wonderful contrast with the purple too :)
Thank you! Yes, I guess they do capture the movement of the wings. Just not as perfectly as I would have liked! Thanks for your lovely comment! :)
The butterfly shot is quite simply stunning. Well worth the wait. And how nice to have an insight into your process. So all your gorgeous photos don’t just emerge fully formed, they do require some effort as well as an artist’s eye!
What a lovely comment, thank you! Indeed they don’t just emerge most of the time! :)
I’ve never seen a hummingbird moth but I think you’ve captured it pretty well in that last photo. The butterfly is beautiful, so graceful too.
Thank you FivegoBlogging, very kind :)
Wow, amazing final pic and I loved seeing all the shots you took to get there! Bet you had a great time escaping to their world while you were focusing on them and snapping away.
Thank you! I did indeed, bet they were thinking “oh hurry up and b*”@!r off”! :)
I was going to say the first picture had very nice effect but the last picture is just wow!!
Thank you (:
Very delicate indeed, what a beautiful set of photos.
Thanks Steph, much appreciated! :)
Great photos! I love the butterfly one – excellently taken. x
Thanks very much Mags :)
Beautiful!
Thank you! (:
A lovely shot and a similar interpretation of the theme to me this week! :)
Great minds! :) Thanks for the comment!
Oh – I’d love to get a picture of a butterfly. I’ve tried before and had to give up either because someone wants something or the camera battery has died!! – They are all beautiful shots. I love butterflies and lavender, so perfect :)
Annoying aren’t they? Thanks so much, glad you like them! :)
A suggestion which I have tried before – put your camera on Sports setting to try to catch the hummingbird hawk moth – probably an unorthdox method but worked for me! Brilliant try though. Mx
Didn’t work for me, I think my camera is protesting at overuse!… But thank you! :) xxx
Wow – absolutely stunning photo. I don’t think I have ever seen a butterfly stay still long enough to to take a good picture!
Thank you very much (:
Beautiful butterfly. Its so difficult to capture a butterfly, I try all the time x
Thanks Mama, a lucky shot, definitely! :) x
Stunning picture! xx
Thanks Kerry (: xx
Great photo…well worth the wait!
xx Jazzy
Thanks Jazzy! :) xx
Wow – you caught the perfect shot in the end. I spent ages the other week trying to get a good pic of a bee on lavender ’cause they just wouldn’t keep still – damn them! V jealous you’re getting a new camera!
Thank you! Yep, bees are just as annoying :D