Usually it’s harder to photograph butterflies than you might think. They are always moving and lots of them flutter away when they see anything approach.
On a warm, summer afternoon in Powhatan State Park, the meadows were teeming with butterflies. The Tiger Swallowtails weren’t interested in being my photographic subjects and even the little skippers seemed pretty shy. I hiked along, just happy to be sharing the space with them, when I was unexpectedly greeted by this friendly Zebra Swallowtail. Not only was it fearless, it didn’t want to leave me.
Maybe it was an old friend from a past life? Maybe it liked the smell of my socks? Who knows?
I took a few pictures and then had to shoo it away for fear of accidentally kicking it when I continued my hike. You never know who you might meet when our in nature.