At first, I was drawn to how still it was.

Resting low against the dark-colored Earth near the small stream, I found this Pipevine Swallowtail with its wings closed, showing only small flashes of blue and orange. There was just enough color to hint that there was more there than I could see. As I leaned in, curious about why it was so intent on getting something from the dark soil, I noticed more…so many more. There were so many!

Walking along the stream bed, I watched as the butterflies landed and puddled. Moments later, the butterfly opened its wings, and the photograph that became Earthbound Iridescence appeared (featured in another story).

But I keep coming back to this frame, too. There is something about the moment before the reveal. It’s the side of beauty, when you know something extraordinary is there even when you haven’t seen all of it yet.

The Other Side of Blue, represented in this photo, is that moment.