The original picture I chose was of a heron curled up on its own surrounded by oil. The devastating oil spill in the gulf has left countless animals without a home and many others stranded within the oil itself. Many people are doing their best to relieve these animals of this horrible situation, but the spill is just so large that it is difficult to reach out to every animal in need. This heron looked as if it had nothing else it could do and no one to look to for help. I decided to make the heron look a bit cleaner by whitening it's feathers and also smoothing them out to look as if it was more comfortable in it's position, as if it was just taking a rest. The surroundings have been changed from an oily mess to a bright green marshy area where the heron would be free of any worry. I also decided to add another heron into the picture standing statuesque behind the original heron, as if it was there to watch over and protect it. With the original heron looking cleaner and more comfortable, in a new safe environment and with a friend to look after it, this heron is now in my ideal setting.
Meghan McKenzie
Photo taken by Gerald Herbert on May 23, 2010
found on Boston.com
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/05/oil_reaches_louisiana_shores.html
