My Rose

This featured Photo has to be my favorite that caught me by surprise. I find it funny when I rediscover a photo. I still have several photos to go through that are sort of scattered among hard drives from New Zealand, New Jersey, Sydney, and New York. I get caught up in a bunch of other photo things than I kinda fall behind as far as getting to my newer stock.

I took this in New Zealand while on a wine tour in Napier.

Thats pretty much the big thing to do there in Napier. I loved seeing the vineyards. I remember thinking how I loved the color red these rose bushes had, and how I needed to get a damn good picture of it.

I do love the original, but I find myself playing a lot with my photos, more now and this year than I ever had. I guess I am flowing with creativity. I did a few versions of this picture.

Of course I love Purple. I guess I have this dark side to me that I always am a fan of, the Tim burton style I favor, and connect with. The Nightmare Before Christmas fan in me, ya know. I like dark, contrast-y, blacks and deep, dark purple. It makes me feel happy. It's very pleasing to my eye. I cant really explain it.

I am absolutely connected to this photo!!


I also kept playing, I just wanted to add to it, make some changes. I feel like photoshop is sort of like painting for me. lol. Weirdly enough. I wanted to try some things, and the creativity kept coming. If I had stopped at the black and purple version I wouldn't have felt complete. As if I was really leaving something unfinished.

When I am editing photos, I can only really post one version of it...right? Not really, but I felt that way at this stage. I loved both the original, and the purple version so much that I thought "why not try to display them both in someway?" The above was what I came up with. Than I wasn't quite happy, so I tried a few other things. I than finally got to the last version that made me feel complete, and happy. :-)

I looooove this. It makes me smile. I love the black, the strip, the hint of the original, and the powerful purple! To me its perfect for what I wanted to do.

On my Website I have the final, and the orignal version in the galleries. The original is definitely strong enough to stand on its own so, thats why I have both versions up. And to hell with "rules" it's my business and I do what I feel is right. And you should too with whatever you're doing with your life. Do what feels right!! :-)