Among my favorite subjects are butterflies and assorted insects and spiders. Viewing these creatures through the lens has given me a new respect for the complexity of their lives. And in the case of spiders, has allowed me to overcome the fear of my younger years. I typically use a zoom lens to catch the butterflies and my kit lens with an 11 mm extension tube for some of the other insects. I’m a photographer of opportunity who likes to stroll about to see whatever I can see. So I tend to avoid the tripod or sitting in one place waiting for something to happen.
The images in this group have all been manipulated in various ways. Some with only a texture applied, some more heavily manipulated.
Please visit my Flickr photostream if you would like to see more.
At Rest – Dragonfly resting on a fence at the park
Early Morning Weaver – Triangular Orb Weaver, a very tiny spider.
In the Realm of the Sun – Monarch butterfly abstraction.
It Came From the Shadows – Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, large and slow.
June Bug! – Large scarab beetle in a tree.
Left Behind – The discarded shell of a dragonfly nymph.
Outside Looking In – A very tiny Red-waisted Florella moth on the outside of my glass door.
The Spider and the Ant Triptych – Poor ant…
Urban Butterfly – Cloudless Sulphur butterfly in my sister’s yard.
Watching Me – Gulf Fritillary butterfly giving me the eye.
Karen Lee Kleis 
Beautiful! I once read that half of Monarch butterflies do make it through the long journey of migration, depending on when they were born. So sad for such a beautiful creature.
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Thanks! We are fortunate to have a good population of Monarchs here in Central Florida along with many other species. And I have a friend in Virginia who has been successful in cultivating native milkweed for the Monarchs to lay their eggs in. They are indeed beautiful!
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These are all beautiful….
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Thanks very much!
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Beautiful
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Thank you!
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