12/14/2020
Well, I thought I was done with 2020, but it was not quite done with me.
This morning, I opened my door, and there was a package. A large package. A surprise package. But, let's not rush into things....
I once took a trip to Costa Rica. (Yes, this is related). It is a beautiful place. It is easy to get around in. The people are very friendly. They have a lot of birds. The food is good. Not a lot of things going against it; except maybe the tourists. Sometimes, we do stupid things. I did something stupid on this last trip. I said I was not going to wander far from my car, and I left my pack sitting in it. And then I wandered away from the car for a little while. Birds... you probably could have guessed. Not surprisingly, someone exchanged a large rock and some broken glass for my pack. Oh... the pack had my memory cards in it. I lost a lot of photos. In all my years of travelling, this was the first, and hopefully last, time I do something this stupid. This, really, was all my fault.
A couple days later, I picked up Carmen. We finished the trip together and eventually returned home. I can tell you. I have never forgotten that trip. I had what I hoped were some really beautiful photos. There was one that I knew was not perfect. I was hoping it would look "okay" out of the camera, but, deep down, I knew it would be blurry. I had snapped a shot of it off the back of my camera, using my phone. It was not much, but I would look at it and wonder (and remember), from time-to-time.
I eventually reached out to Kristina Knowski (web, facebook) about the image. I think I asked her how poor of a photo she could work with. To her credit, she asked to see the photo instead of just saying no. I asked for a miracle. She delivered - in the form of a large package sitting on my doorstep this morning.
The image here does not do it justice. The colors are amazing and rich. The detail is beautiful. Honestly, it is the highlight of my year. I am so impressed with what she has done. Do yourself a favor. If you have ever wanted a piece of art made from one of your photos, talk to her. She also sells prints of her work. Just maybe skip the part where you lose your photo first.
BTW, in an odd twist of fate, the location where I took this shot is where I plan to spend the last part of this year. Like I said, it has been on my mind.
Thanks for reading,
Mike