The first weekend of Fall in the Capital District brought unseasonably warm temperatures for several days. Not good for the autumn colors, but time will tell. A benefit of the warm weather is the butterflies were active and swarming the Butterfly bushes.

With the Canon 7D Mark II and the Canon EF 135MM F/2.0L lens, I worked my way around the backyard photographing the Painted Lady butterflies. Capturing butterflies with the 135MM is a bit of challenge to get them in focus because the depth of field can be incredibly shallow and the insect can move either on its own or in the wind.

I also found a weed going to seed with the late afternoon light in the background with that distinct white structure of the seed and the yellow-green background. This is an easier target for the 135MM and it delivers that incredibly smooth bokeh.

These images were processed in Adobe Photoshop CC using selective color and targeted dodge and burn to bring out the yellows and reds and accentuate the structure of the Monarch's markings.

Thanks for stopping by today!