Butterflies are so much fun to photograph, and it is wonderful when you find one that you haven’t photographed before. The painted lady butterfly in this post was the first we had encountered. It seemed very tame. It landed on my partner’s hand and a flower that he was holding.
in a world of its own
This butterfly was so tranquil and graceful in its movements. It did not flutter in haste and flower-hop, as I would usually see others doing. It seemed as if it were in a world of its own. Reminiscent of my own moments of introspection. Undisturbed by our presence, we watched as it danced whimsically in the sun. Then, without warning, it landed on my shoe.
This landing did not last long. Once the realisation dawned that there was no food, the butterfly soon went on its way.
Food for thought
You know you have spent far too much time around insects when you start narrating their thoughts. Take our little painted lady butterfly friend here. It is simply using its proboscis to feed. However, the way that the image is shot makes it appear that the butterfly is either intrigued by us or confused by us.
Holding out his hand for the butterfly to climb on willingly did not go well. My partner’s sudden attempt to pull out the daisy probably did not help. So he changed his game plan; he became, so to speak, the flower.
Interfering
I don’t enjoy staging my insect photography. I like them to be as natural as possible. There are, however, times when I must infringe on their world in order to capture their beauty and grace. Usually, this is by holding out a flower to entice them.
And we get to my favourite of the day. Capturing this image pleased and honoured me. The simple fact that it chose to trust us.