Butterfly Wings is a photograph by Iris Richardson which was uploaded on July 18th, 2014.
Butterfly Wings
Macro of swallowtail butterfly wings with black,blue,white and orange color in vertical orientation.... more
Title
Butterfly Wings
Artist
Iris Richardson
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Macro of swallowtail butterfly wings with black,blue,white and orange color in vertical orientation.
Every year we plant herbs in our garden to attract butterflies. The herbs will be the swallowtails caterpillars first food. The female butterfly lays her eggs on the herb stem. The moment we see the caterpillars we collect them and put them in a safe butterfly terrarium. if we did not do that most of them would be eaten by birds. We keep feeding the caterpillars herbs until they form their Chrysalis (pupa). All of us take a turn checking on the pupas to make sure we see them hatch for quick release. Towards the time the butterflies should hatch we add some blooming plants to their environment. This will give them a spot to let their wings unfold. If I time it just right that is the time I take my butterfly photographs. The butterflies sit quite still letting nature take its course and I take the most pristine butterfly pictures.
Papilio polyxenes, the black swallowtail, American swallowtail or parsnip swallowtail, is a butterfly found throughout much of North America. It is the state butterfly of Oklahoma and New Jersey.
Uploaded
July 18th, 2014
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Comments (47)
Iris Richardson
Thank you art collector from Matthews NC, this is one of my favored butterfly macros.
Anita Faye
Iris, spectacular Swallowtail wing detail! Featured on Groovy Butterflies Group! https://fineartamerica.com/groups/groovy-butterflies.html
Sondra Caposio
Thank you Iris! I just received the print and it is spectacular! I love butterflies and this picture is so unique, truly an awesome shot. So glad I found you.
Iris Richardson replied:
I am trilled that you enjoy my art so much. We garden for our little butterfly friends to make sure they have enough food. Iris
Iris Richardson
Thank you art buyer from Redlands, CA. This is one of my favored. We grow a herb garden every year. Black swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs on the herbs since that will be their first food source. We raise them in a butterfly then to keep them safe from the birds. When the butterflies emerge from their cocoon they will sit still to allow their wings to fully unfold. This is the perfect time to capture their beauty. Yes it does take a macro lens and a steady hand,good timing to take pictures like this. I call it artistic meditation since one can not rush the moment and it demands concentration and quiet.
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