YES!
I love these photo challenges and this shot was truly a challenge!
Patience paid off, and after 3 days and many hours I got the photo I wanted on the last day!
I went out in the mid day sun, 3 days in a row, investing hours for this contest. The first day, though I saw the majestic beauty, I did not get a clear shot, as not only does it move fast but it bobs up and down fluttering.
While it may be on the large size for a butterfly, trying to get a shot in focus at high speeds at such a distance with a telephoto lens seemed almost impossible. Just a fraction of an inch off made the shot worthless. That is a major margin for failure!
Not just that, but my dslr is OLD and does not auto focus too fast nor take more than 2 photos a second. So I had to pre-focus in a spot and wait for the butterfly to fly into the frame to get the shot.
I did however get a really nice shot of a dragon fly which I submitted for my first entry here.
On the second day, the Majesty of the Yellow Swallowtail was still unattainable, but I got some nice photos of bees and white birds. I went with the white birds because it reminded me of a flying ballet. You can see my second submission "Flying Bird Ballet here".
Then finally on the third day after starting to lay the blame of my failure on the old camera => I got the shot! I didn't even know if I got it until I checked the camera as it moved by so quickly!
This was taken from over 10 feet away and happened quicker than I even realized. So much fun!
I am thrilled to share my most favorite photo of this challenge and as there are so many great photographers with stellar photos in this challenge, even if I don't place I am fulfilled just being able to complete my goal!
Thank you @jamtaylor for hosting these events as I really enjoy them and feel they are so beneficial for our community.
@berniesanders your gracious support of the arts on steemit is fueling a flourishing arts community!
Congratulations @thecryptofiend for being selected for one of the best steemit challenges!
Best Regards to everyone who entered the challenge as that makes the whole experience more successful.
