There is usually very little time to think when photographing a butterfly. They move swiftly from bloom to bloom, and often disappear just as I begin to find them through the lens.

I have to be ready, but I also have to accept that being ready doesn't mean I’ll get the shot I’m hoping for. I think that’s part of what draws me to photographing butterflies.

As this monarch chose its flower, a beautiful yellowish-orange Zinnia, it held its black-veined wings just above the bloom.

Through the lens, the surrounding pollinator garden softened into deep greens.

What had been a scene full of bees, birds, and butterflies sharpened into focus on the one butterfly and one flower in the one moment I wanted to capture.

My hope is that this photo reminds you that moving forward does not always mean you have to stay in motion.

You can pause, trust what is beneath you, and allow yourself to arrive and live in the moment.