Seen Better Days Butterfly (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

With its one wing in tatters, this little butterfly looked like it had seen better days. Nevertheless, it looked me straight in the camera and let me take its picture. Thanks for stopping by!

Deep Blue Butterfly (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

I really like the blue color on this butterfly, especially after I sent the original image through Aurora for HDR processing. (I also like what the HDR did to the vine growing at the top of the image.) Of the three today, the top (HDR) is my favorite. I also made a Graphic Novel filter (the black and white second image) version and a colorized Graphic Novel filtered version (the third image). Thanks for stopping by!

Black Butterfly on a Purple Flower (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

This is a continuation of my butterfly series from the Original Butterfly House on Mackinac Island. What I liked about this image was that it actually captured two butterflies: one in the foreground on the purple flower with its wings open, the other in the background, tapering out of focus on the other side of the flower. The first image was processed with Aurora for HDR, the second is my graphic novel filter version, and the third is the colorized graphic novel filter version. Thanks for stopping by! 

Black Butterfly (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

Moving on from the Smithsonian butterflies, I took a trip this summer to Mackinac Island and took more butterfly photos at the Original Butterfly House (originalbutterflyhouse.com). There are actually two butterfly houses on Mackinac Island, but this one is more convenient to visit if you're sticking to the general downtown area. For today's image, I did my usual processing for HDR, graphic novel, and colorized graphic novel. Thanks for stopping by!

Brown and Red Butterfly on a Leaf (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

I really liked how this butterfly was hanging out on this really big leaf. I also like how the red color stands out in contrast with the butterfly's brown wings.

These images are a continuation of my butterfly pictures from the Smithsonian Natural History museum. (These images are for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.) 

Thanks for stopping by!

Cropped and edited:

Graphic Novel:

Colorized Graphic Novel:

Brown Butterfly, Colorful Background (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

These images are a continuation of my butterfly pictures from the Smithsonian Natural History museum. (These images are for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.) For today's image, I again cropped a butterfly on a pretty green leaf with some flowers in the background. Thanks for stopping by!

Black and Yellow Butterfly (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

These images are a continuation of my butterfly pictures from the Smithsonian Natural History museum. (These images are for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.) For today's image, I cropped a butterfly with some flowers. Thanks for stopping by!

Colorful Butterfly (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

These images are a continuation of my butterfly pictures from the Smithsonian Natural History museum. (These images are for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.) For today's image, I pushed the color boundaries on Aurora and got... this. Thanks for stopping by!

(AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel) Butterfly on a Leaf

My Smithsonian Natural History Museum butterfly series continues with this brown and white butterfly. It's not a very colorful butterfly, at least from this perspective, but it makes a nice contrast against the green leaves and the plants in the rest of the picture. (These images are for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.) Thanks for stopping by!

Orange(?) Butterfly, Orange Flower (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

My first perspective upon looking at the original raw image of this butterfly and flower was that they were both orange. (I suspect this had something to do with the lighting in the room.) At second glance, the butterfly in the image is perhaps more brown than orange, and the flower more on the yellowing side of orange. The colorized graphic novel filter image (fourth below) is probably truest to life in terms of color. (Today's image was one that I took at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, at their butterfly exhibit. These images are for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.) Thanks for stopping by!

Cropped Original

Aurora HDR

Photoshop Graphic Novel filter

Colorized Graphic Novel filter

Butterfly in White Flowers (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

This is another of my Smithsonian Natural History Museum butterflies. Although I like the color of the butterfly in the color image, I went with a lighter colorization of the graphic novel (third image below.) (Today's image is for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.) Thanks for stopping by!

Flowers (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

Ok, so this one was also at the Butterfly place at the Smithsonian's Natural History museum, but there are no butterflies in the picture, hence the title: Flowers. I like how this flower looks like a big ball of... flowers.  (This image is for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.) Thanks for stopping by!

Edited image

BW Graphic Novel version

Colorized Graphic Novel version

Butterfly and Flowers (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

What I liked especially about this image was how the flowers were aligned with the butterfly. (No, the image wasn't posed, lol.) The original from which this picture was edited was taken at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's Butterfly Exhibit. (The image is for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.) Thanks for stopping by!

Another Smithsonian Butterfly (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

Here is another Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History butterfly from their Butterfly Exhibit. (The image is for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.) I like the butterfly's position on the flower, and am pleased with the image. Thanks for stopping by!

Butterfly at Natural History (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

When I get a chance, I like to visit butterfly houses for the opportunity to photograph butterflies. I find that if I am patient (and take lots of pictures), I can usually find something for which I'm glad to have spent the time. Between the butterflies and the flowers, I enjoy the color in these places.

This image here is one that I made while I was visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's Butterfly Exhibit. (The image is for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.)

White and Yellow Floral Goodness (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

Now that I've run out of cave photos, I'll move on to some floral photos. This one here is from the U. S. Botanic Gardens, so it is for personal use only and commercial use is strictly prohibited.

Thanks for stopping by!

More Underground Cave Awesomeness (AuroraHDR, Graphic Novel filter)

It looks like some kind of calcified, underground dome. The tour guide did say that there were certain items that had been left in the cave for the specific purpose of calcification. The dome, of course, wasn't one of them... Thanks for stopping by (and putting up with my corny jokes)!