This monarch butterfly was at the Northampton, MA. Community Gardens. It was one of those days where I was waiting fighting the wind — but then again with insect photography you always seem to be fighting the wind. I suppose that "waiting for the wind to stop" would be more accurate, but it doesn't sound as colorful. Anyway, if you're good at waiting, usually there's a break now and then.

I love the contrasting colors of this clouded sulphur and the cone flower. The pink-purple tinged border of his wing does go nicely with the flower petals. The sulphurs never seem to open their wings when at rest. This was also taken at the Northampton Community Gardens.

The striking little Harris Checkerspot butterfly is uncommon, but it can be locally abundant in the right areas. I found many in the Five Islands area of Maine.

The Dorcas Copper is a small bronzed colored butterfly of northern bogs, It has a subtle pattern and is iridescent, displaying purple hues in the right light. I photographed this individual late in the evening of a hot summer day in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

This White Admiral butterfly was sunning himself early in the morning on a path through a stand of pines.  (To be honest it was on the path between the cabin I was staying at, and the outhouse.) The White Admiral is one of my favorite butterlies. In the right light it can look stunning.

This gorgeous American Lady butterfly stopped to sun itself on the wall behind my house. I didn't have my camera readily at hand, but I was lucky, she was still there when I got back with my gear five minutes or so later.

The white admiral, like most butterflies, has quite different looks depending on whether the wings are viewed from the upper side or underside. At least with this butterfly, the white bars are present on both wing surfaces, and are in the same relative position. With some butterflies, the differences are startling.

The Gulf Fritillary is a common and beautfiul butterfly of the south, as well as Central and South America. Come to think of it, I have photographed this species in Hawaii also. This individual was nectaring on a warm November afternoon in the Sam Houston national forest.

I waited for about 20 minutes as this Pipevine Swallowtail fluttered from flower to flower, looking for just the right angle. I did finally get the shot I was hoping for. This was at the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville, TN.