The Pink Cattleheart is a large, black butterfly with striking red, pink and white markings.
Little Brown Butterfly, I
Common Morpho, I
Tiger Longwing On Coneflower
I recently visited the Butterflies LIVE! exhibit at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. This photo of a Tiger Longwing on a red coneflower was one of my favorite shots from the trip. If you’re in the Richmond area Lewis Ginter is definitely worth a visit.
Yellow Flowers By The Lake
Big Red Flower
Cluster of Roses
This group of roses was one of those small scenes I just couldn’t resist photographing. The composition probably breaks all the rules but I like it just the way it is. To me the three roses in the background on the left seem balanced by the larger, fully blooming rose in the foreground and the opening bud in the upper right.
The dark green leaves of the rose bush are riddled with insect damage. Some photographers might be temped to “repair” them during processing but I like the imperfection of the scene. It reminds me that, upon close inspection, even the beautiful things in life are not perfect.
Pearl Crescent
This Pearl Crescent butterfly rests peacefully in a bed of white and yellow flowers. According to “An Instant Guide to Butterflies” by Pamela Forey and Cecilia Fitzsimons, male Pearl Crescents patrol their territory and will fly at other butterflies and insects.