Monarch’s chrysalis is one of the most beautiful things nature offers!

Interestingly, the word, chrysalis, is derived from a Greek word, ‘crusoz,’ meaning gold, and I think it perfectly describes the beautiful golden ring on the monarch’s chrysalis.

The word, metamorphosis, means “transformation or change of form.”  The pupa, or chrysalis stage is really “where it (metamorphosis) happens”.

It is when a caterpillar transforms into something it has never seen or known before – a butterfly! What a brave thing to let go of everything it knows to become something completely new.

To create these images, I used multiple strobe lights to help highlight the chrysalis with one positioned directly behind it and some underneath it.

It was so intriguing to watch the chrysalis each day as it becomes more and more of a butterfly. Prior to emerging, the chrysalis becomes translucent and reveals its wings.