I recently had the chance to attend a monthly art class that some fellow Clayton Visual Arts members put on at the Clayton Senior Center.  Jane Prete and Amy Beshgetoorian taught a group of ten the fine art of watercolors.  All of the participants seemed thoroughly pleased and engaged.  

I can only draw stick figures and that is why I produce my art with a camera.  I am always impressed though with people who have the ability to produce images using penk, ink, or in this case, brush and water.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the folks produced some artwork that was worthy of being matted, framed and hung for display.  Perhaps there is an exhibit at the Clayton Center awaiting some of these great images!!

 

Autumn is my favorite time of year.  The temperatures are cooler, football season is in full swing, the World Series is winding down and the colors are everywhere. If you look through many of my images, you will probably note a number of shots of barns. I just find them to be great subjects. They take posing instructions well I guess!  Someday I think I might do a series on just barns.

While a lot of barns I shoot are located in rural areas, this one is in Cary of all places. It is near my in-laws house in the Lochmere area and I have been passing this barn for a number of years every time thinking to myself that I need to bring a camera and get a shot of it.  Well, today was that day.

By waiting, I was able to get the bales of cut grass as an added point of interest. The colors here in the Triangle area are not quite at peak yet probably another week or so if Hurricane Sally doesn't knock off all of the leaves. So I took some artistic liberty and selectively enhanced the colors just a bit.  (don't tell anyone)

Every year my wife and I discuss taking a weekend trip to the mountains during the month of October and every year we never seem to make it. So I just try to find my favorite Fall scenes around here.

The North carolina State Fair is in full swing this week and this is always one of my favorite things. I love the month of October in general with the cooler weather, colors, etc., but the fair is something that I really look forward to each year. The weather this year looks like it will be especially cooperative. Our family ventured out last Sunday and while Katy and her friend road all of the rides, I had my ritual foods: Roast Corn, (didn't do the turkey leg this year BBQ chicken instead), Deep Fried Oreo cookie and to top it all off, the best ice-cream I have ever eaten at the NC State Dairy booth on the way out (Wolfpack Tracks was the flavor choice this year)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fair is a great place to people watch (sometimes you see some VERY interesting characters) and to take some pictures of course.  Best time is the "magic hour" right around sunset when there is still light in the sky and the lights of the rides and booths come on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also enter an image in the photography contest (haven't won anything yet) and Katy usually enters one of her own. She ALWAYS gets a ribbon!  The one I enetered is called "Guy Road Barn" and the barn is located in Clayton on Highway 42 across from the Johnston Medical Center.  It will soon give way to progress as a medical park is planned on the location 

 

 

This is the image Katy entered. It is of a fantastic sunset that she took from our living room window. And I usually go out early in the morning or skip dinner to get light like that!!

 

 

   I have been working on refining the collages/composites that I have done for some area sports teams and individuals in the past.  I am trying to refine and make them a bit more "artistic".  I am trying to incorporate a traditional portrait (either posed or candid) and create a composite of the images that I think is pretty cool. Unlike a traditional one time photo session, I typically will need to shoot at one or two games to get th e right action shots that will make the image have impact.  I have really enjoyed playing with this and hope to refine and enhance the process as time goes on.  Spending time with photography, sports and my daughter.  What can be better than that? 

 

Award

I was surprised and honored yesterday when this shot was selected as "Best in Show" at the CNPA/JC Raulston Arboretum print competition.  There were approximately 130 entries and in my opinion some VERY good ones.  Fortunately for me, the judges thought mine was pretty good too!! 

I am particularly proud of this award as it was strictly photographers (no paintings, drawings, etc.) and was judged by three highly respected certified photography judges. I knew some of the other photographers that entered and I have a great deal of respect for their work.

The CNPA is the Carolinas Nature Photographers Association of which I have been a member for a few years. We meet monthly (first Wednesday of the month at the Arboretum). 

If you have a chance, stop by the Arboretum that is part of NC State University and located at 4415 Beryl Rd. in Raleigh. (Over near the State Fairgrounds)  The exhibit will be up through October 5. The gardens they have there are awesome too!

Upcoming exhibits

September will be a busy month for me exhibit wise. In addition to the two images I have displayed at the Arboretum, I will also be part of an exhibit at the Frank Creech Art Gallery at Johnston Community College. The exhibit is being held in conjunction with the NC Museum of Art's "Visual Fest" that will be taking place later this fall. This exhibit runs September 10-27.

If you happen to be in downtown Smithfield and are in need of some reading materials, come by the Smithfield Public Library and check out the display wall.  I will have 12-15 images displayed there throughout the month.

Also this month is the annual Clayton Visual Arts "Art Faire" competition. The exhibit is also held throughout the month of September and is growing each year.  Entries include photography, oil paintings, drawings, and other art mediums.  The quality of work that is displayed is usually first rate. The opening reception is September 13, 6:00pm-7:30pm and the exhibit will last through October 1. (Free wine and cheese for all you UNC fans!) Come by if you want to see some great artwork.

Today marks the beginning of the 2012 London Summer Olympic games.  This is the thirtieth (XXX) version of this spectacle and is one of my favorite sporting events to watch. A few years back, they changed the format from when they would hold the Winter and Summer games in the same year every four years.  Now they hold the games separately every two years. 

While the winter games are also fun to watch, I don’t really relate because I am not a big winter sport fan.  Those games are probably more enjoyed by the extreme sport folks.  I still look forward to them though especially the luge events. What person in his right mind would want to lie down on his back on a little piece of wood with blades attached and get propelled down a hill of glare ice reaching speeds that would gain you a ticket from the man if you were driving a car on the local freeway?

The games have changed quite a bit in recent years when they began allowing professional athletes to compete.  I guess in countries other than the US where the line between professional and amateurs were blurred already, there have been pro athletes in games from way back.  But now it just seems a bit different.  Seeing Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, David Beckham and others who have already made a huge name and tons of money from their sport, it overshadows the true amateur athletes that these games were designed for.

 

What I really love about the Olympics is that these athletes work all their lives and endure huge sacrifice for their one moment.  I recall the movie Chariots of Fire when Harold Abrahams is contemplating his race the next day; he remarks “when I finally line up and look down my lane, I will have 10 seconds to justify my very existence”.  

A bit over the top I admit for the movie, but it is what makes this event so dramatic and fun to watch. These athletes have put all else aside for this one moment.  For most of them, there will be no chance at a pro career and making millions of dollars to continue on with their sport unless ESPN is contemplating starting a world professional pentathlon league for that dead period every year between the end of the NBA playoffs and start of football season.  Of course I also enjoy watching the little leaguers go at it for a few weeks in August.

I also really enjoy the human stories that they always show.  I think I heard already that the first medal in these games was won by a blind individual in the archery event.  (Not sure I would have wanted to be a spectator at that event).  But that is so cool.  There is another guy who will be running the 400meters.  He is a double leg amputee.  Amazing stuff.

I have a ton of respect for these athletes. I cannot even imagine what some of them have gone through to get to this point.  No one was forcing them to do it either.  They had the self-will and determination to achieve their goals.  Lots can be learned from people like that!!

The darker side of having an event like this of course is the threat of the games being used to make some kind of social or political statement. I happened to be a few blocks away from the incident at the 1996 games in Atlanta on that particular Friday night that someone chose to do just that.  It was pretty scary indeed. Luckily more people were not hurt. I just hope that these games can go on without a similar incident taking place.

The pictures of the gymnasts I included here I took recently at an NC State meet. I will be watching the gymnastics events closely with Katy and trying to use the time to talk about some of what it takes to succeed at things in life.  Again, a LOT can be learned from these athletes.

 

I spent a few hours on Sunday morning (Father's Day, I know I should have been spending it with my family but I got out pretty early and was home by 11:30) at Duke Gardens in Durham. I can sometimes get emersed into my photography and lose track of time (ask Lisa and Katy) but I just enjoy losing myself sometimes in being out creating images (it is very therapeutic for me) and Duke Gardens is an awesome place to do that!

Some(most)times when I go out, I might take 200 shots and if I'm lucky I come home with three or four images that I really like.  This was one of those. It is a group of Hosta that I took looking straight down.  In a gap between some of the plants hung a spider web that had collected an abundance of early morning dew.   I thought the arrangement looked kind of cool and I took a number of different exposures until I got what I wanted.  I just like the way this came out.  It almost looks like the leaves are under water or under glass and the leaves are fish all angling for position at feeding time. I think there was a dead bug in their somewhere but I used the magic of Photoshop to speed up the decomposition process.

Recently, I have been getting into Macro (close-up) nature photography. I guess mostly because I don't need to travel to some exotic locale or find someone willing to pose for me.  Often I simply go out my front door or out in my yard and if I look really close, I can find many different things that could make a pleasing image.  I usually awaken earlier than my family and they sometimes will find me out on the deck perched over a potted plant or out in the yard on my knees with my camera on a tripod in front of a bush in our yard. I try to do most of my shooting and editing early in the morning or late at night so that I don't neglect my family. (my family member's thoughts on that might differ however :) )

I just find enjoyment in getting in touch with my creative side. With my art, at some point ( I decide when that occurs) I can simply accept what I produce as a finished product and find a sense of fullfillment in that. In contrast, at work today, we spent a half hour trying to determine if the word "and" that was missing in an obscure footnote (that nobody is going to read) of a twenty page report, was critical enough to warrant correcting and incurring the additional time and expense before it was published.  Don't get me wrong, I realize the importance of accuracy and getting things right, I also strive to do that to the best of my ability, but at some point....

Anyway, this is my form of escape. I try to create images that others will find pleasing and enjoy, but if they don't, that is ok to. I create the images mostly for my satisfaction. And I personally REALLY liked this one.

As we draw near to another celebration of Memorial Day and are bombarded by ads for great deals on mattresses, thoughts of trips to the beach, and the smells and tastes of hotdogs, hamburgers, watermelon, lemonade and ice cream, let us pause for a moment to remember why we have the holiday. 

Since the founding of the Republic approximately 848,163 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen have given “the last full measure of devotion” to the country they chose to serve in direct combat with an enemy intent on destroying our way of life and imposing theirs on us.  Another 437,421 died of other causes such as disease, accidents, friendly fire, etc while serving in combat areas.  An additional 1,529,230 of these patriots were wounded in these struggles and 38,159 remain missing in action to this day. 

Memorial Day is a day to say thank you to those who have perished in whatever way you choose, and to say thank you to the millions of veterans who served and were fortunate enough to survive.  Our area recently experienced, leaving from RDU, the last of the “Triangle Flights of Honor” which took veterans from World War II from here to Washington, DC to visit memorials that were constructed in their honor.  This was the final flight, not because the money ran out, but because, in a state that has one of the highest military retiree rates per capita in the country, there were just not enough WWII veterans left that were able to make the trip to fill another plane.  The “Greatest Generation” is disappearing fast.  These citizen warriors saved the entire world – literally!  When you see them this weekend, let them know you appreciate them before they are gone.  To our Vietnam veterans that only recently – some forty years late – began receiving the gratitude of the nation, let them know you appreciate the job they did and for our troops currently standing in harm’s way for us – thank the ones you see and pray for the ones you can’t. 

There is one other thing you should do this weekend while enjoying your well-deserved time off however you choose.  Sit down for just a moment with you children, grandchildren, the neighbors children, or any child you can find and spend a little time explaining to them why we celebrate this holiday so that they understand the sacrifices made in their names and don’t forget to tell their children

If you happen to be riding through Clayton in the next few weeks and are looking for a great steak dinner, stop by the Clayton Steakhouse on Main Street.  Besides the great meal, you will have a chance to see fifteen of my photographs on display.  They will be up from May 15 through June 25.  

 

If you have the chance, stop by and let me know what you think!!

I am honored to be having two of my photographs on exhibit at the Johnston County Arts Council annual Arts and Food Festival on April 28 at the Johnston County Agricultural Center,  2726 NC Highway 210 in Smithfield.  The images were juried into an art contest that will be judged that evening during the event that takes place between 6:30 and 9:00pm.  These are the two images I will have on display hoping to win a prize:

There will be food from various area restaurants along with art displays encompassing many different mediums.  Drop by if you are in the area.

 

This month they are celebrating the 100 year anniversary of Fenway Park in Boston, home of the Boston Red Sox.  This is not my picture, but when I saw it, it brought back some great memories of when I lived in New Hampshire and attended more than a few games there.  

But the first one was very special for me. It was on July 7, 1968 and  was a birthday present celebrating my ninth birthday just seven months before my Dad passed-away.

My boyhood hero was Carl Yastremski who the previous year won the Triple Crown for leading the league in home runs, rbi, and batting average. He also led the Sox to the "Impossible Dream" season in 1967.

On a cold day the following winter, my family made the hour long drive to Boston to get tickets for the game that would be my birthday present.  I remember it was so cool seeing Fenway for the first time.  I had only seen it on tv (black & white) and the rich color of the brick outside and the activity of the big city made me wish that they could play the game that day and not 4 months later.  

When the big day came, I remember our family having a picnic outside the stadium before going in.  Now as an adult, I realize what it took to get us all there. I bet we ate outside because this was an extravagant event for a man who earned his living working in a shoe factory and he was trying to make it work the best he could.  I didn't care where we ate though.

Our seats were down the left field line directly in sight of Yaz. It was a double-header that day and Yaz hit a home run in each game (just for me).  The Sox won the first game 6-3 and Ray Culp beat Jim Kaat to win the second 4-3.  Reggie Smith, Joy Foy and Rico Petrocelli added home runs to help the cause. 

The thing I remember most was how green everything was, the field, the stands, the famous "Green Monster". The smell of the hot dogs and peanuts and the sound of the guy yelling with that Boston way; "get your cold bea hea!"  Even today, whenever I leave a baseball stadium, I have to take a last look at the field and it makes me recall that hot July day so long ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never had a chance to go to another game with my Dad but I spent countless hours playing Red Sox-Yankee wiffle ball games with my brother. I became a Die-Hard Red Sox fan after that game and 44 years later still follow the Bosox with a passion.

A few years later while in high school, we would skip class and drive to Boston and go to the early season weekday games. They didn't draw very well back then and we would sneak down and sit next to the dugout. I remember watching two rookies back in 1975 named Lynn and Rice and along with Yaz they gave us some more great memories at Fenway.  But those stories could fill up another Blog entry and should probably wait for another day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katy competed at the NC State gymnastics meet this past weekend and finished 10th in the state at her level. A pretty impressive accomplishment but not as good as she (or especially I) was expecting. I could sense some disappointment  on Katy's face after the meet. 

Of course I took the usual photographs that I take at her meets (as well as practically every other event she takes part in) and took a picture of her results, posted it to Facebook, etc.  I was, as usual, very proud of my little girl.

That evening I watched a movie called Seven Days in Utopia which someone recommended to me.  I also read the book that goes along with it.  It is about a young PGA golfer who had a meltdown on the course and in his distress afterward, found himself  at a small town in Texas called Utopia where he received some golf instruction but more importantly, instruction on getting priorities straight.  I highly recommend the movie but the book is much more in detail and in my opinion better (short read) but well worth the time.

This young golfer was brought up to play the game of golf and was pressured by his father to excel and to one day achieve at the highest levels.  As a result, the young golfer found his identity and self-worth in his golf score.  One day when he was at a defining moment in his career, he had a rough day and melted down. He was brought to his knees because he failed in his chosen profession that he allowed to become his sole purpose  in life.  His time in Utopia gave him a chance to get his priorities in order and realize that his identity  was not based upon his golf achievements but his life involved a much higher calling.

This got me to thinking about how I come across to Katy with her activities.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I take many pictures of her soccer and gymnastics events and freely post them and talk about her achievements with anyone who will listen (and some who would rather not hear).  I started to wonder if Katy ever sensed from all of that, that I only felt proud of her or accepted her when she did well in a meet, or scored a goal in soccer or made a good save.

This week is spring break and yesterday Katy and I had a Daddy-Daughter day at a local fun park planned.  During a break between her beating me on the go-cart track and me reciprocating on the air-hockey table, I asked her how she felt about her performance over the weekend.  She acknowledged that she did not do as well as she had hoped (I think she used the term "stunk it up").  I felt that I needed to tell her that it didn't matter to me one bit if she won or lost or did well or "stunk it up".  I loved her just because of who she is.  I am proud of her just because.  I also felt I needed to tell her that no matter what she does, I am ALWAYS going to be in her corner.  

I must remember that my job is to provide her with a strong sense of who she is. She needs to know that her worth is not based upon anything she does or does not do well. Her success in life should not be defined by her accomplishments but rather her character and her relationships and her concern for those around her.  When I take so many pictures and make such a big deal about her accomplishments, what message am I sending her? I need to be sure that she fully understands that her accomplishments are not the reasons for gaining my approval.  

While I can sometimes get obsessed with my photography when it comes to my daughter's activities, I need to keep in mind the message that I am sending her.  While I will continue to take pictures of her, (because I am REALLY proud of my little girl) I will in the future remain cognizant of what she is absorbing from all of the fuss I make over her talents.  I will strive to constantly remind her that that she is my little girl and will remain so regardless of what she does.

Sometimes I try to equate my own self-worth with what I do for a living or what I accomplish in my career.  After spending the day with Katy just hanging out playing video games, eating junk food, and riding go-carts, Katy said that she had the best time and that I was an awesome Daddy.  I can only hope that one day those five words might be the definition of my life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball."

~Mickey Mantle~

 

Baseball is my favorite sport.  It has been said that hitting a baseball is the single most difficult thing to do in sports.  If you have ever stood at the plate facing a 80-85 mph + fastball, or a knee-bending curve ball, you might agree with that statement.  Mickey Mantle's quote above kind of puts that into perspective.

 

I like this shot as I was able to capture the ball in flight and get it as the focal point. Pure luck!! This was at a Durham Bulls game a couple years ago. That ball is probably coming in at 90+mph.

I recently attended a meeting of the Carolinas Nature Photographers Association of which I belong.  The speaker was Mike Moats who is an award-winning nature photographer who specializes in macro (close up) photography. www.tinylandscapes.com  There are many benefits to macro photography that are not present in most other photographic pursuits related to nature photography.  For instance, to get the best, most dramatic images in nature often requires the photographer to be in place during the "magic hour" of light that exists right around sunrise and sunset.  That means getting up quite early and sometimes missing dinner with the family.  When traveling, (especially with a wife and child who don't seem to share your passion for such things) it is not always possible to get out there during those optimal times.

With macro, there is no "bad" time to take photos. The photographer has full control of the subject, composition, and lighting in ways that are often left up to chance in typical nature photography. I have spoken to some nature photographers who have captured amazing images of wildlife for instance and they say that to capture a particular image may require multiple days, weeks, months, and then hours crunched in a blind to capture the exact moment that makes the image what it is. In macro, while there are perhaps some times that are better than others (early morning to catch a frost or dew drops), in most instances the photographer can take full artistic control to compose the image that he truely invisions. 

In addition, one does not need to travel to some far away land to capture dramatic natural images.  They are all around us!  For instance, the image above was taken in our newly planted flower bed at the height of the mid-afternoon sun.  I saw this nicely formed rose bud that was about to burst out during the mid afternoon sun.  I sprayed some water on the flower to see if I might be able to capture a reflection in some water drops.  The drop at the bottom of the flower held on just long enough for me to get this shot.

While I have not done a whole lot of this type of shooting, I plan to look into it in more depth in the coming months.  I actually won a copy of his book as a door prize (I NEVER win at such things!!) and I will try to implement some of his suggestions here as spring begins to take hold.  If I get any of merit, I will certainly share them.

 

It was early in March, 1996 when I was just hired into a new position with a Health Care management company in Atlanta.  During that time of year (March Madness) there was much talk in the office about the existance of a "pool" of some sorts related to the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament.  Not having any interest in such activities (yeah right) but just wanting to fit in with my new co-workers, I inquired as to how I might join this pool. (which by the way, did not involve any money for the winner only "points") :). 

I was told that in order to enter, it would cost a few "points" of my own and I needed to see Lisa in Marketing who handles all of that.  So I filled out my bracket and ventured down to her cube to submit my entry.  When I turned the corner and saw a Syracuse basketball poster hanging on her wall that was personally signed by Jim Boeheim, I thought "this is a girl I can relate to."  I introduced myself and we talked about our various backgrounds and found that we had a few things in common and I found myself making more frequent trips down to marketing as the weeks went on.

After a company picnic a few months later, a bunch of us went out to Buckhead for some drinks at a local watering hole and I watched as Lisa engaged in some billiards playing and handled all comers with what seemed to be some rather deft precision.  Having no such ability myself, I was needless to say quite impressed.  Not only did this girl enjoy sports, she could handle herself quite effectively in competitive situations. Minnesota Fats, Paul Newman, and Tom Cruise had nothing on this girl!!

During this summer in Atlanta if you recall, there was a little thing called the Olympics that came to town. We spent many an evening during those two weeks (including the night of the pipe-bomb incident) at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown.  We really got to know each other during this time and some of my friends commented that we seemed to be "made for each other." While I can sometimes (usually) be rather dense in recognizing such things, we just continued to spend time together and enjoy each others company.

Then Lisa did the proverbial "smash me in the face with a frying pan to get my attention" thing and began to cook for me. Man o man, that did it for me.  This girl was a keeper. So the next fall when she asked me to go with her to a friend's wedding in Maine, I planned a side trip for us to Nantucket Island for a few days where I asked her if she would be interested in spending the next forty years or so together and I presented her with the diamond that you see in the picture above.

Well we were married on March 7th in 1998 and today is our 14th anniversary.  I love Lisa very much and have been blessed to have such a talented, caring, loving, wife, mother, friend, and partner by my side for all of those years.  I look forward to many more years!!

 

Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

Came across this shot I got after the same snowstorm from my last post.  It is a dad  walking the dog with his daughter. After the last couple weeks I have had, it got me to thinking.  I see pictures of Katy when she was very young and look at her now and can't seem to fathom where time goes.  I just hope and pray that I am having a positive impact on her life.  She is sure having one on mine!

 

 

 

This is a shot of a barn in Clayton that I came across early in the morning after an (infrequent for these parts) snow storm a couple years ago. I really like this shot (aside from the houses in a nearby sub-divison in the background) for many reasons.  The color contrast, the element of the cow, the composition, the new snow on the branches... but why it is so special to me is because this shot was my first entry into any kind of art contest which was the annual Clayton Visual Arts contest.  And I happened to take first place. In addition to that, the owner of the barn saw the photo on display and contacted me and purchased the image along with additional copies for her to make Christmas Cards for herself. So from this one shot, I was able to pay for my new camera as well as a substantial portion of an additional lense!

While interacting with the owner, I learned that this barn dates back to the middle eighteen hundreds and was actually used by the Union Army after they defeated the Confederates in the nearby Battle of Bentonville.  They stopped along the way during their subsequent march to occupy Raleigh and a few weeks later to accept the surrender of General Johnston and the Confederates in Durham.  This was at the very end of the Civil war.

So it was kind of neat to find a little piece of American history right in my own back yard. (and make a few bucks as well!)  I do look forward to these snow storms as they really provide ideal settings for some great photos.  When I drive by this barn without the snow, it seems much less dramatic and with leaves on the trees, one would almost not notice it at all. 

Today I went to a meet-up with the Carolina Nature Photographers Association. (CNPA) This is a great group of photographers dedicated to the pursuit of nature photography. The temp. outside when we got there at 9:00am was probably in the high thirty's so I dressed accordingly.  Of course I didn't think about the fact that butterflies are a tropical creature and like it warm. It took most of us about 30 minutes before we could take photos without having to wipe our lens free of moisture.  And my down vest was quickly shed.  (couldn't do much about my flannel shirt however). It was an enjoyable way to spend a winter Sunday morning.

When I arrived, I realized that I had forgotten my Macro lens that would enable close-ups of "our models" and I was left with my 70-200 zoom.  This lens will only allow you to get to about 4 feet to your subject in order to focus properly. I was intending to get some dramatic close-ups of the butterflies but that did not pan out.  I resorted to some extra post processing cropping to get some acceptable images.  This one was one of my favorites from the morning shoot.

I think the pink flowers give a nice contrast to the green leaves and help to make the wings "pop" out a bit more.  The one good thing about the zoom lens is the great depth of field it provides and gives good separation of the subject from the background.

When we began to learn a bit about these fellows, and were told that butterflies live only a very short life, it got me to thinking because this past week I had a pretty serious health issue that landed me in the hospital for a few days. Life is short. I need to learn to enjoy the days God has given me and live them fully. They say that beauty is fleeting and in the case of these guys, that is so true.  The same goes for me. (not that I am a beauty) but life is really short and I really need to get a handle on that.