Black and white butterfly

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Black and white butterfly

October 6, 2016 by Mike Powell

Cabbage White butterflies (Pieris rapae) are quite common, but many people ignore them, assuming they are “only” moths. I find real beauty in their simple elegance, like this one I spotted last weekend in the garden of my friend Cindy Dyer.

The butterfly was already white and black, so I decided to play around and remove color from the rest of the image too. I like the look of the black-and-white image, but decided to include the color version so that you can decide for yourself which one you prefer.

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature | Tagged Alexandria VA, black and white, Cabbage White, Cabbage White butterfly, Canon 50D, Pieris rapae, Runnymeade, Tamron 180mm | 11 Comments

11 Responses

on October 6, 2016 at 8:47 am | Reply shoreacres

I much prefer the color. I think the butterfly stands out more clearly, and, as a matter of fact, the colored patches on its wings and the color of its body echo the colors of the stems quite nicely. It is a pretty thing.
- on October 7, 2016 at 4:55 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for providing your views, particularly your explanation. It is impossibly to truly see the eyes of another and why they like what they like.
on October 6, 2016 at 7:52 pm | Reply Charlie@Seattle Trekker

I too prefer the colored version of this specimen, but I do appreciate getting two different views of this creature.
- on October 7, 2016 at 4:53 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Charlie. It looks like all the readers who provided their views are in agreement with you.
on October 6, 2016 at 8:27 pm | Reply mvschulze

Prefer the color.Seems to provide a little more sense of depth. M 🙂
- on October 7, 2016 at 4:53 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for jumping in with your preference. Folks overwhelmingly seem to like the color version.
on October 9, 2016 at 11:37 pm | Reply krikitarts

I prefer the monochrome treatment. It reduces both the main subject and the background to their basic graphic elements and emphasizes form and structure in a more abstract fashion.
- on October 10, 2016 at 6:19 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for weighing in, Gary. You described well why I liked the black-and-white version–there is a starkness about it that I find appealing. We are so used to color, though, that most of the readers who commented tended to prefer the color version.
on August 19, 2018 at 9:03 pm | Reply exploringcolour

Mike, interesting I’ve accidentally landed on a b&w study! I want to ask you a favour. If you don’t mind, would you pls visit my contact page and give me a contact email for you. I’d like to ask you something WP-related but not online here, and I can’t find a way to contact you.
- on August 19, 2018 at 9:37 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I sent my contact info to your gmail address.
  - on August 19, 2018 at 10:27 pm exploringcolour
    
    Thanks Mike! Have contacted you. Cheers.