Look Closer: What a Butterfly Can Teach Us About Seeing

Through the Lens Friday

At first glance, it is a splash of orange in a bed of flowers.

That alone would have been enough to catch my attention during a recent visit to Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. But the longer I look at this photograph, the more I find beyond the color.

Dark lines trace their way across the butterfly’s wings. Small spots interrupt the orange. A patterned border follows the wing edges, and two slender antennae reach into the space above its head. Around it, flowers stand in sunlight while others fall into shadow.

All of those details were there before I raised the camera. Taking the photograph gave me a reason to stop and notice them.

From Looking to Seeing

It is easy to walk through a garden and come away with a broad impression: beautiful flowers, plenty of butterflies, a pleasant morning outdoors.

There is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes a walk is simply a chance to stretch our legs and enjoy being outside. But when we slow down, the broad impression begins to separate into individual discoveries.

One flower has faded petals. Another is just opening. A butterfly shifts its position, changing the angle of its wings. Sunlight reaches through a gap in the foliage and briefly lights a small part of the scene.

Photography encourages me to pay attention to those changes. With a camera in hand, I begin looking for the particular moment within the larger view.

The challenge is remembering to look that closely even when I leave the camera at home.

Follow the Details

In this photograph, the butterfly’s color draws the eye first. Its orange wings echo the flowers surrounding it, making it feel very much a part of the garden.

Then the smaller details take over.

Follow one dark line across a wing. Notice how the markings change as you move toward the edge. Look at the antennae and how fine they appear against the darker background.

The flowers deserve a second look, too. Some are sharp enough to reveal their centers and individual petals. Others soften into color behind the butterfly. Light and shadow give the scene depth, helping one small visitor stand out in a busy garden.

I enjoy that progression in a photograph: something catches your attention, then gives you a reason to stay.

Give the Moment Time

A butterfly is an excellent reminder that the outdoors does not arrange itself around our schedule.

We can find a promising patch of flowers, choose a place to stand, and have the camera ready. The butterfly still decides where it lands, how it turns, and how long it stays.

That uncertainty is part of the pleasure.

Watching gives us something to do while we wait. We begin noticing which flowers receive visitors, where the light falls, and how much movement there is in a scene that initially seemed still.

Sometimes the photograph comes together. Sometimes the butterfly leaves before we can make it.

Either way, we have spent a few minutes paying attention to something we might otherwise have passed.

Carry That Attention Outdoors

The same habit serves us well beside a pond, along a trail, or at the edge of a marsh.

An angler who watches closely may notice insects gathering over the water or a small disturbance near the bank. A birdwatcher may catch movement among leaves that seemed empty a moment earlier. A photographer may discover that a familiar place looks completely different when the light reaches it from another direction.

Those discoveries begin with attention.

We do not always need to travel farther or find a more dramatic landscape. Sometimes we need to spend a little longer where we already are.

A flower bed offers plenty to explore if we give it more than a passing glance.

Try a Second Look

The next time something outdoors catches your eye, pause before moving on.

Choose one subject—a butterfly, a leaf, a feather, or a ripple on the water—and look for three details you did not notice at first. Study its edges. See where the light falls. Watch for movement.

If you have a camera, make a photograph. Then lower it and spend another moment looking.

I’m glad I brought home this image from Brookgreen Gardens. I enjoy the color and the detail, and it brings a little of that visit back each time I see it.

It also reminds me how much can be happening within a few feet of a garden path.

The butterfly caught my attention. Staying a little longer gave me more to see.