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Vanuatu Butterfly by Stefanie Laroussinie

Captured amidst the vibrant ecosystems of Vanuatu, this photograph highlights the delicate interplay between a butterfly and its native flora. Stefanie Laroussinie utilized a wide 18mm focal length to frame the subject within its lush rainforest environment, balancing the intricate details of the insect against the rich textures of the island's vegetation. The image is award-worthy for its ability to transform a fleeting encounter in the wild into a striking, colorful composition that celebrates the biodiversity of the South Pacific. It serves as a testament to the photographer's patience and keen eye for the natural beauty found in remote, tropical landscapes.

Vanuatu Butterfly by Stefanie Laroussinie
Nikon D90 | Exposure 1/160sec @ f/13 | ISO 200 | Focal Length 18mm
Copyright Β© Stefanie Laroussinie
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Stefanie Laroussinie

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in France, Stefanie Laroussinie has nurtured a deep passion for photography since her childhood. After spending much of her life in Paris, she embraced a nomadic lifestyle four years ago, choosing to travel the world by boat as a free spirit. This transition has allowed her to document the world's most remarkable locations, blending her love for exploration with a dedicated pursuit of fine art photography.

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13.1/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
272/500
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Award Reach | Reviews
22,126 views | 7 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date December 21, 2010
64.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 15.0
Style 13.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Epi Island, Vanuatu

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Close-Up Photography
Stefanie Laroussinie Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (12.9/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
2,144/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
22,126/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.2/5 points
3/100 Review
Submissions
2.7/5 points
272/500 Submission
Jury Score: 64.0/80
Resonance Score: 12.9/20
Total Award Score: 76.9/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 4

Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most macro work is claustrophobic, but using an 18mm lens here was a gamble that paid off. By pulling back, Laroussinie forces the butterfly to share the frame with the chaotic, humid texture of the Epi Island rainforest. It’s not just a bug on a leaf; it’s a tiny, fragile anchor in a vast, wild ecosystem. I’ve seen thousands of insect shots, but this one makes me feel the actual heat of that jungle.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The chartreuse of the foliage vibrates with a feverish intensity that recalls the humid, suffocating greens of a Rousseau jungle, yet it’s the butterfly’s wingsβ€”a bruised, velvet indigo reminiscent of the deepest shadows in a Vermeerβ€”that truly anchor the frame. One feels a sudden, sharp ache in the chest, a longing for that specific, damp tropical air; it’s a chromatic collision that doesn't just sit there, it breathes, it pulses, it’s utterly intoxicating.
Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
Using an 18mm lens for a butterfly is a gamble that usually ends in an empty frame. Most would have reached for a macro lens, but Laroussinie clearly sat in that humidity until the insect accepted her presence. It’s a rare bit of discipline. I’ve spent enough afternoons swatting mosquitoes in the tropics to know she didn’t just stumble upon this. It’s a quiet, earned victory. I find myself genuinely envious of that patience.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
Vanuatu’s light is aggressive, yet here, the shadows don’t merely frame the butterfly; they consume the periphery. It’s a claustrophobic beauty. By choosing an 18mm lens, Laroussinie forces us into the insect’s suffocating, verdant cage. I’ve stared at these wings until my eyes ached, feeling the weight of the darkness pressing against the vibrant scales. It’s not a celebration of nature, but a confrontation with the void that waits behind every leaf. It’s hauntingly, deeply unsettling.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Sven Lindqvist

The Weight of Wings

We measure time by the ticking of clocks, but the earth measures it by the slow decay of leaves and the sudden, frantic pulse of a wing. There is a fragility that demands nothing from us. It does not ask to be understood.

Read the reflection →
By Margaret Holt

The Weight of a Wing

In the nineteenth century, naturalists often spoke of the 'delicate machinery' of the insect world, as if the forest were a clockwork mechanism ticking away in the humid dark. They were obsessed with pinning things down, with the taxonomy of the fragile.

Read the reflection →

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