Black Swallowtail With Cigar Sticker

I was researching what causes loss of butterfly scales. I found out that most butterflies only live 6-14 days. That makes it all the more exciting to photograph these beautiful wings of nature. They are here and then they are gone. So, I count myself blessed whenever I can photograph a butterfly.

I love the outdoors and just watching nature and its interactions. One of my favorite things to photograph is wildlife. My goal is to capture a cute behavior, an endearing moment, an interesting facial expression or wildlife in action. A very close second is beautiful scenery. When I was young, I remember looking at a painted scene on my grandmothers wall and daydreaming that I was in that place. So, I naturally look for scenes that encourage one to pause for a moment, relax and breathe. It could be something very simple, a 'stop and smell the roses' moment that most people would overlook on an average day. My desire is for my photographs to evoke a feeling of calm, provide a distraction from stress, dream and maybe even laugh. I trust...