I spotted quite a few beautiful Zebra Swallowtail butterflies this past Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The all seemed to be in constant motion, rarely perching for more than a split second and flying in unpredictable patterns.
Eventually I was able to capture a shot of a distant Zebra Swallowtail when it stopped to sip from a milkweed plant. I really like the composition of the photo, despite the fact that the main subject occupies only a small portion of the frame.
I could not help but notice that the butterfly is looking a bit tattered, with its long swallowtails already gone. Later in the season, I am sure that I will see many more butterflies and dragonflies with damage to their wings from the wear-and-tear of daily life. I am always amazed by the way that they are able to compensate and continue to survive. As I get older and slow down a bit, I try to remind myself to focus on those things that I can do and not on the ones that may be becoming increasingly challenging for me.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Spectacular.
Perfect depth of field, and great composition!
Thanks, Sam. Some of the factors that you noted were intentional and some of them were a result of decisions made after the fact (like the specific cropping that I chose). All in all I am pretty happy with the way that it turned out, though I was really hoping to get a closer shot of the butterfly. 🙂
The composition is indeed great! Butterflies are fascinating insects. I wish human beings were like them, sometimes. It would solve many of the issues we have. LOL!
Thanks. If we were like butterflies, would we undergo an incredible metamorphosis. That would be amazing. 🙂
We would also have much shorter lifespans, which would make us appreciate every little thing we have…
Nice capture, Mike. I like your observations.
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Thanks, Mitzy. I tend to write in a stream-of-consciousness way and I never quite know in advance what will come out. It is usually a reflection of my mood or musings in the moment I am composing the post.