The Monarch of Migratory Fame. Photo Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling

A Quiet Celebration of Color, Detail, and Life Along the Front Range

If you’ve spent any time browsing nature photography on AboutBoulder.com, chances are you’ve paused—maybe without even realizing why—on an image credited to Lenny Lensworth Frieling. His photography has a way of slowing you down. Nowhere is that more true than in his ongoing Boulder Butterfly series, a collection that transforms fleeting moments into lasting works of art.

Lenny’s gift lies in seeing what most of us overlook. Butterflies are everywhere in Boulder during the warmer months, flitting through gardens, hovering over wildflowers, drifting across open space trails. We notice them, sure—but rarely do we study them. Lenny does. His macro photography captures butterflies in astonishing detail: the fine scales that create their color, the subtle textures of their wings, and the way sunlight traces the delicate edges like brushstrokes on canvas.

These aren’t just close-up images; they’re intimate portraits.

This posing pair of butterflies is definitely one of my favorites of butterflies, one of my favorite subjects. Photo: Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling

Butterflies as Art, Not Background

In this series, butterflies stop being background motion and start becoming the subject. Monarchs appear perched calmly on thistles and native blooms, their orange wings glowing against soft natural backdrops. Painted ladies flash bold patterns of black, white, and rust. Swallowtails and admirals—often seen only in passing—suddenly feel monumental when viewed through Lenny’s lens.

What makes the work stand out is not just technical skill, but intention. Each photograph feels deliberate, as if Lenny is asking the viewer to recognize the importance of something small. In a place like Boulder—known for big skies, dramatic peaks, and sweeping vistas—it’s refreshing to be reminded that beauty also lives at eye level, and sometimes below it.

White Morph Butterfly visiting with an Owl Butterfly at the Broomfield Butterfly Pavillion. Photo: Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling

The series quietly reinforces a truth many naturalists emphasize: butterflies are indicators of ecosystem health. Their presence signals thriving native plants, clean water, and balanced habitats. Organizations like the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation have long highlighted the role butterflies play as pollinators and environmental messengers, and Lenny’s work brings that science to life visually.

Prime Season for Winged Encounters

Summer through early fall is the peak window for butterfly activity around Boulder. Trails near creeks, open meadows, community gardens, and wildflower corridors are especially active. Once you start paying attention, you’ll see them everywhere—resting on milkweed, drifting across sunny paths, or feeding quietly in clusters of blooms.

Lenny’s photographs often feel like invitations. After spending time with the series, it’s hard not to head outside with fresh eyes. Suddenly, that quick flash of color near the trail feels worth stopping for. Even without a camera, there’s something grounding about simply watching.

Local experts, including those at Colorado State University Extension, frequently note that planting native flowers and avoiding pesticides can dramatically increase butterfly activity in home gardens. Boulder’s long-standing commitment to open space and native landscaping has helped create ideal conditions for these moments to happen naturally.

A Love Letter to Boulder’s Open Spaces

At their core, these photographs are about more than butterflies. They’re about attention. About slowing down in a fast world. About honoring the short, perfect summers Boulder is known for and the living details that define them.

Lenny’s Butterfly series fits seamlessly into the broader story of Boulder itself—a place where nature isn’t just scenery, but a daily companion. His work captures that relationship with honesty and care, reminding us that wonder doesn’t always require altitude or distance. Sometimes it’s right beside the trail, hovering in plain sight.

You can explore the full Boulder Butterfly series and more of Lenny’s nature photography through a hidden gallery link embedded naturally on the site, and it’s well worth spending a few unhurried minutes there. The images have a way of lingering long after you’ve closed the page.

If you find yourself inspired to grab your phone, walk a familiar path, or simply pause the next time something colorful flutters by—then the photographs have already done their job.

And that might be the quiet magic of Lenny Lensworth Frieling’s work: it teaches us how to see again.

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