Something amiss in this shot of a beautiful blue butterfly

[balakc]

Is this underexposed? I felt if I increased the exposure I risked losing the vibrant wing colors. Any help in pointing out what else I should *fix* in the shot would be greatly appreciated.

[dlambert]

I don't think it's underexposed. In fact, if you went much lighter, you'd start blowing out highlights in some of the leaves toward the top of the photo. Without changing composition, you could play with contrast, clarity, and maybe black levels to get a little more "pop", but it looks pretty natural as-is.

Also, per the forum rules, it's helpful to include EXIF info w/ critique requests - this helps immensely w/ questions of exposure.

[Doug Sundseth]

I've not found a really good way to shoot in dappled light and I think you're running into the same issues here. If the sunlit areas are properly exposed the shadowed areas are too dark and the reverse if you expose for the shadows.

Your best bet might be to carry a diffusion panel (they only weigh a few ounces, though they can be a bit bulky) and provide your own open shade. Failing that, even a hat can often provide enough shade to get a small subject evenly lit.