This Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly (Speyeria cybele) was so cooperative that I was able to get amazingly close to it with my 100mm macro lens and photograph it from some unusual angles.
This is the third (and final) posting from this session with the Fritilary (I love saying the butterfly’s name) and I realize that I have moved in a kind of progression. My first posting showed the butterfly from a “normal” perspective. Then I shifted to a somewhat unusual perspective in the second posting by shooting from below the butterfly.
In these final shots, I tried to get eye-to-eye with the fritillary. In the first image, I was almost directly over the butterfly and managed to capture some wonderful details. Who knew the butterfly would be so hairy? In the second shot, I tried to put myself on the same level as the Fritillary as it got nectar from a beautiful white cone flower. If you want to see the photos in greater resolution, click on the images.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
i like that second shot. It’s an unusual perspective.
Yes, indeed, I really like that second photo. Very artistic!
Thanks. It was cool shooting in that spot in the garden. If I aimed down, I got an almost black background and if I aimed up, I got a greyish-blue sky. “Fun” in the title is my personal shorthand for “creative.”
Love that first shot 😀
Thanks. I think the perspective makes it really interesting….I especially like the way the wings turned out.
Up close and hairy – some hazards are inevitable.
Very cool, looks like he was just waiting for his pic to be taken..:-))
He certainly was willing to pose for quite some time.