My On Black collection was the stepping stone into my professional occupation as an artist. Sleeping Beauty was the first stone in that journey. When I was done editing the swan, I knew that I had created a work flow that would serve me well to produce dramatic images. The raw photo was taken on a hot, sunny July day at around 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The bird was sleeping in a patch of sun and the marshy, brush filled wetland landscape in front of her and behind her were shadowed. The final image was a complete surprise. I love when that happens!

Many of the images in this collection were shot outdoors in broad daylight. Some were taken in my studio. In both cases, it is about the light and isolating the subject by removing everything else.

One final note about Sleeping Beauty. I was in the right place at the right time to capture this image. Some things just can't be staged. Serendipity!