Plants and Photoshop

Photography is an immediate reaction, drawing is a meditation. ~Henri Cartier-Bresson
 
I like to play with the camera and then sometimes, I like to play with Photoshop. With both I am creating an image. Of course, there always exists a subject in the first place; a bird for instance. With birds, I have taken somewhat of a narrow approach to creating an image, and as far as post-processing manipulation goes, I only go as far as removing the bird's surroundings, as seen here.

What remains in tact is the main subject and post-processing is simply taking what the camera's sensor captured and making it look real again. I feel the same way with all animals I photograph.

With plants, I take more artistic liberties by way of post-processing by manipulating their shapes and colors. I began to ponder why that is. Do I have less respect for the plant kingdom than the animal kingdom? I don't think that is it. Rather, I view plants as being exquisite in an abstract way. I see textures, patterns and colors that are not seen in the animal kingdom. And they just beg to be played with.

 
When I photograph something and then have the power to manipulate it, I basically am using the plant as a palette from which to choose how I wish to display its colors and forms. This is why I can take a perfectly beautiful plant such as the heliconia, and do a dastardly thing like this to it:
 

I am not sure that what I do with the image is more or less appealing to others, some would be turned off by this form of manipulation. Some would see it as a form of art. For me, it is one of many ways to express my view of the world through the camera. Most importantly, the camera has opened my eyes to the possibilities. Regardless, it is a blast.  I do hope you enjoy at least some of these "Plants as Art" images.