Last Saturday I spotted this Pearl Crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos) on what looks to be a Black-eyed Susan flower (Rudbeckia hirta) at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. Initially the butterfly’s wings were open, which made for an ok shot. When the butterfly partially closed its wings, however, the light coming from the back helped to illuminate one wing like a stained glass window.
It is amazing how a slight change in the position of a subject can radically change the feel of an image—that is one of the reason why I like to shoot in short bursts, hoping to capture a variety of poses in a short period of time.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Wow, the light, the colours, the setting … so magical! Nice one Mike! 🙂
Thanks, Pete. It is amazing how such a modest subject in ordinary surroundings can be so beautiful.
That’s a cool photo, Mike. It almost looks like the flower is being reflected in the butterfly wing.
Excellent!
Great image, Mike. Love the intricate patterns in the backlit wings.
Beautiful light and colours!
Very nice!
A good study about the importance of not just the amount of light, but also the direction of the light source. If the entire flower/scene had been lit by the sunlight, it would not be nearly as effective.
Thanks, Wally. Portrait photographers obsess about the light when shooting in a studio. When shooting in nature, I don’t have control of the light but I can help to change its effects by choosing my shooting angles carefully whenever I can.