Golden flutter…

Had a nice photo session recently with this butterfly who was quite willing to pose and preen for me on one of my late summer marigolds. He seemed quite content to stay around so I had the rare privilege of setting up my tripod, grabbing my macro extension tubes and capturing some great nectar-sipping action. As I have said several times before, one of the greatest gifts photography has brought me is the pure enjoyment of simply observing nature, whether or not I walk away with the image I wanted. And being a good photographer means sitting still long enough to “see” but still having the catlike reflexes to “react.” No wonder it’s often harder than it looks! This particular morning, I really enjoyed the “watching” and as a result, I shot quite a few rounds, of which this is one of my favorites. I may post a couple of others later on, but for now, hope you enjoy…

f/7.1, 1/15th sec, ISO 100, 130 mm with macro extension tubes