I found a photo I took in Florida what, three years ago? It's a grackle, I believe. I used a photo of torn black cardboard from a book cover for the branch. I added stars courtesy of NASA, and, when seeing the stars, I felt that the bird was gazing rather wistfully into space. So I added some faux planets (rusty metal circles) and then put in a subtle postcard background to finish everything off.
Now my feeling is that of a bird, or a being, wishing a loved one were with him, or wishing that a deceased relative weren't gone. Or a friend. Anyone. There's a certain pathos to the picture, I think.
Then you know the trite things we write on postcards? "Beautiful weather! Wish you were here!" (Or, as Jimmy Buffett might say, "The weather is here. I wish you were beautiful.") So I created a second version (for Fine Art America) with the words "Wish you were here" down at the bottom.
The second version officially makes me a crass commercial photographer . . .
©Carol Leigh
