My good friend Aaron asked if I would create a Layout using one or more of his photographs of the local Bataan Memorial statues in honor of those who have fought and died for our Freedom.  Aaron’s photos are just phenomenal, so I jumped at the chance to use them! I’ve had the pictures for awhile, but wasn’t sure how best to incorporate them – I wanted the page to be striking and thought-provoking as well as being a fitting Tribute.  Honestly, I just wasn’t sure my skills were up to par!  So, I was feeling particularly reflective this past Memorial Day and decided to face this challenge head-on.  I selected 2 of Aaron’s Bataan Memorial photographs and 1 of his stunning sunsets to begin with and then added a marbled paper for texture and the bronzed wordart from Lauren Bavin that I felt conveyed the message Aaron wanted.  Then, I just worked with blend modes and layers to create a luminous, kind of ghostly feel for the background and a small copper frame to set off the focal photo.  I sent Aaron the final result and he was very happy with it, so  I’m going to share it with you guys today (thanks to the Dancing Girls for their feedback too – I needed the reassurance!).

I think this one needs to stand alone, so I’ll be back later.  Have a great Wednesday!