Final Renditions

Reading over Berenice Abbott's "Photography at the Crossroads," I contemplated my own usage of the camera fused with my photoshop knowledge and skills. One statement from that article resonated well with me, "The photographer creates, evolves a better, more selective, more acute seeing eye by looking ever more sharply at what is going on in the world." Considering the theme of this project combines the seeing eye combined with the that of nature, I found this statement to be very fitting. I usually do find that when I am in nature I see my surroundings much more acutely than at any other time. It reminds me of how animals are in the wild when they are searching for food. Their sight becomes intensified, hearing is sharper, sense of smell escalates, etc. Not only are these senses enriched to help them search for food, but also as a defense mechanism to keep them safe from predators. There is no immediate danger for me as I hold my camera and search for that perfect composition, yet I still feel my senses heighten!
The final four images I chose to include in this series are as follows (prior to digital manipulation):

My final renditions are here:

I am EXTREMELY pleased with this series and cannot really say I have a favorite now! As I look at each of them I feel a connection with that moment in time and with each particular object. I have not only captured a memory with the camera, I have added a piece of myself, literally AND figuratively.

By the way...this is the original picture of my African Grey: