Last Wednesday I spotted this beautiful little Eastern Comma butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It struck me that the butterfly’s colors are a perfect match for this autumn season.
I really like this image. When I posted in on my Facebook page, the word “contrast” keep coming up in the comments of my viewers. Some noted the contrast in colors, while others commented on the contrast in textures. I think that the downward-facing pose of the butterfly and the rather unusual shape of its wings also causes people to pause for a moment as their brains try to process what they are seeing.
Years ago I remember reading a post by a fellow blogger, Lyle Krahn, who used the term “stopping power.” Although he was referring to subjects that you found interesting enough that you would stop to take a photo, I think that it applies equally well to viewers. What makes a photo compelling enough that a viewer will stop and examine it, rather than simply scrolling on to the next posting?
We are constantly inundated with visual images that compete for our attention, but so often they affect us only superficially. It is my challenge as a photographer to capture and/or create images that help you to see the world in a different, deeper way, that prompt you to slow down and experience the beauty that surrounds you.
As noted American photographer Dorothea Lange stated, ““The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Nice thoughtful article with ‘stopping power’. 👏👏
Thanks, Ted. Most of the time, nobody will remember what we say in a blog posting, but occasionally one will resonate so well with us that we can recall it years later. Here is a link to the 2013 posting that I mentioned in today’s posting (https://krahnpix.com/2013/07/24/stopping-power/) and my musings on the concept of “stopping power” from 2020 (https://michaelqpowell.com/2020/08/23/stopping-power/).
Thanks 😁😁
The texture of the background and the light do give this one stopping power. I would also add that it really brings out the light edge the icing of the butterfly’s wings. Something that in another setting would not be highlighted so well. Great capture Mike !
Thanks, John. The darker background definitely helps to bring out the lighter details as you pointed out. It definitely helped that I had a good amount of light shining on the little butterfly that helped to illuminate those details.
The Lange is so true.
I am intrigued not only by the contrast you mention, but also by the “extra” antenna or legs I see behind the left wing of the butterfly.
I was wondering if anyone was going to notice them. They kind of look like the legs of a daddy longlegs. At first I thought the butterfly might be feeding on the other insect, but I don’t think that is part of their diet. I wonder if there might have been some sap or something that had attracted them both. Who know?
I saw one of these a few days ago flying close to the ground before the weather turned cold. I’ve been able to attract this species and other anglewings using bait made from over-ripe bananas, molasses, and a splash of stale hoppy IPA mixed in a tray and hung from a bird feeder pole.
Wow, Gary, that is quite a mixture that you use to attract butterflies. We’ll had frost warnings recently, but I saw another Eastern Comma butterfly today. This species overwinters as an adult, so theoretically I could see them during the winter if it warms up a bit, though I think they are in a hibernation-like state when it gets cold.
I might see a few more anglewings before November but it’s getting quite cold at night now. Our killing frosts came about two weeks later than usual this year and it’s been chilly ever since. We even had some snow! I’m hoping the predictions for mild weather next week are correct.
The butterfly bait I use also attracts hornets and yellowjackets which so far haven’t posed a problem. At night it attracts cutworm moths.