Canada Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Lilac   © E.Svendsen

I will confess that, of the many thousands of butterfly photos I have taken over the years, I have never taken one quite like this.  Part of the reason is that you have to be at the right place at the right time.  There is a much better chance of getting a great shot when there are many subjects to choose from.  The fact that the adult population peaked at the same time the lilacs were in full bloom was an added bonus.

Capturing that one-in-a-million photograph requires a certain amount of luck, but the truth is that it usually involves a great deal of time, effort, and having the right equipment.  Having the weather on your side is an added bonus, especially when photographing insects that are averse to rain and the cold.  

One of the best ways to improve the odds of getting that image is to spend time in or near gardens endowed with flowering plants that attract insects.  Planting such a garden can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor, Visiting public places sporting such foilage or getting permission from green-thumbed neighbours also bears consideration.  The truth is that I have availed myself of all these approaches.

The above photo was taken in June of 2021.  We were visiting my son and daughter-in-law who were staying at her grandmother's place east of Edmonton.  Evidence of a passion in floriculture abounded and I frequented the flowering plants with my macro lens and flash.  During my stay, I captured many dozens of shots, but this was the only head-on one I managed to get.

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