Image by: Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling
In today's Outdoor photo of the dayBoulder photographer Lenny Lensworth Frieling captures a radiant fall sunflower with a bee and a moth – an elegant duet of pollination that enables late-season blooming. Why this matters is simple: The US Forest Service explains how bees and moths keep ecosystems thriving as daylight dwindles, and the National Wildlife Federation explains how nectar-rich flowers like sunflowers function until the first hard frost. For more Front Range outdoor stories and galleries, check out this local site.
The bee burrows into the gold-dusted disc flowers; The moth rests on the edge of the petal, silent as a comma. Together they transform the flower into a world within the world: spiral-shaped seeds draw the eye inward, while bright petals and gentle blur of wings take it outward again. It feels scientific and lyrical at the same time – precision wrapped in warm, amber light.
Why sunflowers glow in autumn: These North American natives are resilient optimists. They thrive in the heat of late summer and then remain upright and giving until October Pollen and nectar as other flowers fade. Young heads follow the sun (heliotropism); Mature faces settle east, catching the first light on clear Colorado mornings. For pollinators eager to refuel, a healthy stand of sunflowers is a final, bountiful buffet.
The composition here is based on contrasts: velvety anthers vs. glassy wing scales; the geometric storm cloud of seeds vs. the clear arc of a petal; Urgent movement vs. meditative pause. This push-pull is Boulder in the fall – charged yet thoughtful, bright yet brief. You can almost feel the cool air and hear the quiet drone of work before winter silences the field.
Lenny lets the topic breathe. No tricks – just a patient eye, a steady hand and trusting the natural light to do what it does best. The result is a photo that invites a second and then a third look, rewarding attention with details you missed the first time: a speck of pollen on the moth's forewing, a tiny shadow where the bee's leg brushes against a flower, the subtle gradient from lemon to gold on a single petal.
As the Flatirons trade the splendor of summer for the splendor of fall, this image serves as a reminder to slow down and look closer. The season is full of little wonders – right in the heart of a sunflower, where a bee and a moth share a golden stage.