Orange-tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) at my home, Liverpool.

The first flush of colour in my garden this year came from a massive patch of self seeded forget-me-nots. Being colourblind this is always a special moment for me as blue is one of the few colours that truly stands out against a sea of browns and greens which I struggle to differentiate from one another. I become obsessed with making photographic compositions involving the contrasting colours. Finding an animal to obligingly pose within the scene sends me into overdrive!

Having already photographed several wrens and blackbirds going about their business, searching for invertebrates within the sea of blue flowers, this beautiful little Orange-tip butterfly decided to take a turn in my studio. This individual didn’t make it easy for me but being more obliging of my presence gave me more opportunity to experiment with composition that my usual avian models would not tolerate. Scrambling backwards and forwards, prone to the ground, I followed this individual from flower to flower until it finally landed in perfect position, side on to show itself in full glory. All the angles, curves, colours and lighting came together just as I had envisioned and finally had my image. Satisfied and content, I lay my camera on the ground, sat among the flowers and let this stunning creature and all its friends flutter around me as they collected nectar and search for partners.

This striking image matches a softly textured green and blue background with gentle curves and detailed subjects that draw the eye without overwhelming the picture as a whole. It stands out, capturing the attention of the viewer but, due to to the soft colours and delicate subject, retains a relaxing quality making it suitable to be presented as a large feature piece in living or bedrooms.

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