The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.”
― Paulo Coelho

I’m clearly missing the colours and warmth of summer as I sit here watching winter slowly grip the land. This photo was made in mid-September while I was out looking for wildflowers to photograph. But, being  ever the photo-opportunist I decided that this lone monarch butterfly was a good subject as well, as it gently and randomly floated around me, eventually landing just off the trail.

Those who photograph butterflies on a regular basis, you know who you are, can relate to the  time and patience required to get a good shot. In their natural environment,these skittish little beings simply to not sit still, nor do they land in close proximity to the photographer. They flit and float around on the breeze with no predictable pattern or destination, often not even landing. So we need to ‘sneak’ up on them, trying carefully not to disturb them, lest they take to flight again.

That’s why this photograph is so representative of the butterfly ‘quest’. They seem to be always ‘Poised for Flight’. Just as you compose the shot and all is perfect, off they go again. When all the elements fall in place, the wind is calm, and nothing disturbs them, a good shot is finally achieved.

Next time you look at a beautiful butterfly image, realize that a lot of effort probably went into creating the shot and it’s probably the only one in many that was satisfactory.

Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 200 mm
1/160sec, f/6.3, ISO 200

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