Tiger swallowtail on thistle

Thistle isn’t the most welcome plant in a garden, but it’s a genuine pollinator magnet, and this swallowtail worked the spiny purple bloom with its wings held fully open — a good angle for showing off the small orange and iridescent blue spots along the trailing edge of the hindwing.

Getting the shot

A deep, uniform green background made the yellow-and-black wing pattern the only thing competing for attention in the frame. Shot flat-on to keep both wings in the same plane of focus rather than catching one sharp and one soft.