The sunlight was a bit harsh, but I actually like the way that it turned the background white, drawing even greater attention to the beautiful Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) that I spotted last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Every now and then I will take a shot, like this one, that turns out more “artsy” and stylized than my “normal” shots. It’s hard to explain, but this simple photo really appeals to me.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Excellent! Sometimes unintended results are very artistic.
It really appeals to me, too! Nice job!
Thanks. With some photos, like this one, it is hard to know how people will react.
That’s true! I’m glad to hear you say that. You’ve been doing this longer than I have, so I feel like I never know what people will think! LOL
Long ago I decided that to post photos that appeal to me or that I like, sometimes for reasons I can’t really explain. I realize that not everyone is going to like all of the ones that I like–some people will never like my images of snakes and spiders, for example. External validation is nice, but it is not essential to me. Most of the motivation that has kept me blogging for ten years comes from inside. 🙂
I totally agree with publishing what you like, especially since, I at least, feel like I don’t know what people will like. I publish something I love and get a couple replies, then publish something I don’t like as well and get loads of great comments. And of course, different people have different tastes. In the long run to continue any endeavor long term you have to do it for yourself! But in this day of social media and influencers it’s sometimes easy to forget who we do our art for. It’s good to be reminded by others of like mind.
Well said. Popularity is overrated. 🙂
I don’t know, having never been “popular”, but I would think it would be annoying and put a lot of pressure on someone, too. I imagine it would be very easy to loose one’s self in that kind of a situation.
Nice one Mike, it has a posterised effect which is very different to your usual work but effective.
Thanks, Chris. “Posterised” is a great descriptor for the effect in the photo.
All of your butterfly photos are great Michael! Consider submitting them as they happen to butterfliesandmoths.org as a part of the volunteer effort to inventory butterflies for scientific research.
This exquisite photo elicited an appreciative sigh from me, Mike. So very beautiful. What appealed to me was its Zen-like quality.
Thanks, Jet. Photography doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective–simple subjects in simple settings can have a good deal of emotional impact.
This is lovely, Mike. The tattered flower head and the butterfly’s position make it special.
Very nice image Mike! Enjoyed seeing it!
I agree, it is stunningly beautiful.