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Balancing butterfly and bee photo wins competition

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Friday, September 19th 2025 at 5:37 GMT by BBC
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A Stunning Portrait of Nature’s Delicacy Wins Top Prize in Global Photo Competition

A recent photo contest that drew more than 4,500 entries from around the world has crowned an unlikely winner: a single, razor‑sharp image of a butterfly poised on the back of a honey bee. The photograph, taken by 28‑year‑old photographer María López in the summer of 2023, was selected as the overall champion of the Nature’s Fine Balance Photo Contest 2024, organized by the non‑profit Earth’s Living Lens and co‑sponsored by the International Association of Photographic Artists. In the words of the contest’s chief judge, “It’s a moment of fragile equilibrium that captures the essence of coexistence.”

The Competition and Its Vision

Launched in 2021, the Nature’s Fine Balance Photo Contest invites photographers to capture the subtle interdependencies that define Earth’s ecosystems. Contestants are asked to submit images that illustrate either a “symbiotic relationship,” “mutual aid,” or “a moment of unexpected partnership” among species. The theme for 2024 was “Balance in Biodiversity,” encouraging entrants to highlight how even the smallest interactions can have outsized ecological significance.

The contest, which can be viewed in full on Earth’s Living Lens’s website, is open to amateurs and professionals alike. Entries are judged on technical excellence, originality, emotional resonance, and how effectively they communicate the contest’s theme. Winners receive a $5,000 cash prize, a feature in the monthly Earth’s Living Lens magazine, and a trip to a prestigious wildlife photography workshop in the Galápagos.

The Winning Image: A Butterfly on a Bee

The winning photo was captured on a clear afternoon at the San Juan de Dios Nature Reserve in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Oriental. López, who has been shooting insects for over a decade, used a Canon EOS‑R5 paired with a 100‑mm macro lens to get the extreme detail required for such a delicate subject.

In the frame, a monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) with iridescent orange and black wings is perched mid‑air, balancing on the dorsal side of a bumblebee (Bombus impatiens). The background is a muted burst of green, and the lighting is soft but focused, creating a halo that seems almost ethereal. The composition is tight enough to emphasize the butterfly’s fragile wings while still capturing the textured body of the bee. The photograph is shot at a 1/2000 second shutter speed, freezing the tiny tremor in the butterfly’s wings.

What makes this image extraordinary, according to López, is the sheer improbability of the situation. “In the field, I’ve seen butterflies feed on flowers and bees gather nectar, but seeing one of the two ride the other without any obvious aid or interference is a very rare sight,” she explained in an interview posted on her personal Instagram profile. “I knew this was a moment worth capturing because it speaks to the unpredictable ways organisms interact.”

Context and Scientific Significance

While the photo may appear whimsical, it actually reflects a broader ecological conversation about mutualism and the fluidity of roles within ecosystems. Scientists have noted that butterflies often act as pollinators for a variety of plants, while bees, particularly bumblebees, are known to pollinate crops that butterflies cannot efficiently reach due to their size. The image hints at a potential form of “co‑pollination,” where different pollinators may inadvertently support each other by sharing foraging paths or resources.

According to Dr. Samuel Ortiz, an entomologist at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), “When you observe a butterfly riding a bee, it’s a visual metaphor for the interconnectedness of pollinators. These species share nectar sources, and their activities are not mutually exclusive. By highlighting such interactions, we remind people that conservation efforts must consider the entire network, not just individual species.”

The Photographer’s Journey

López grew up in Oaxaca and was first fascinated by insects at the age of ten when her father gave her a magnifying glass and a small jar of captured butterflies. She studied photography at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, where she specialized in macro and nature photography. After graduating, she began traveling across Latin America to photograph pollinators, eventually winning several regional awards for her documentary series on pollinator decline.

Her passion for the subject led her to join the Mexican Society of Macro Photography, an organization that advocates for responsible wildlife photography. López’s winning image is also featured on the society’s online gallery, where it has attracted thousands of views and comments from fellow photographers and scientists alike.

The Aftermath and Impact

Following the contest’s announcement on May 26, 2024, the photo quickly went viral. The New York Times ran a special feature on “The Butterfly‑Bee Moment” that highlighted the image’s artistic merit and ecological message. Additionally, the photo was included in an exhibit at the Museo de Historia Natural de México titled “Microcosms of Cooperation.”

Earth’s Living Lens announced that a portion of the contest’s proceeds will be donated to the Bee Conservation Initiative, a program that funds the planting of pollinator-friendly gardens in urban areas across the United States. López said she is proud to contribute to a cause that directly aligns with the message of her winning photograph: that even the smallest organisms deserve protection and appreciation.

How to View the Full Collection

The full set of contest finalists, along with the winning image, can be viewed on the official Earth’s Living Lens website under the “2024 Winners” section. Each photo includes a short description of the capture, the photographer’s background, and the scientific significance of the depicted scene. For those interested in the technical aspects, the website also offers behind‑the‑scenes videos, showcasing López’s macro setup, lighting techniques, and editing process.

Final Thoughts

The image of a butterfly balanced delicately on a bee stands as a testament to the astonishing complexity of natural ecosystems and the artistry required to reveal them. María López’s work underscores that sometimes the most profound stories are not told by grand landscapes but by the fleeting moments that happen when two species share a breath of air. The photo has not only earned a coveted prize but has also sparked conversations about pollinator cooperation, conservation priorities, and the responsibility of artists to illuminate the subtle wonders that often go unnoticed.

As the world continues to face ecological challenges, moments like the butterfly‑bee encounter captured by López remind us that balance—no matter how delicate—is possible, and it is up to us to preserve it.