I took this image as part of an assignment for a course I am currently taking. I came across this in a local botanical garden (Garvan Woodland Gardens) in Hot Springs. They are putting up lights for their Christmas display, which, by all accounts, is spectacular. The dragon is a part of the display and is a sculpture constructed from wire, cloth and other iridescent materials. It was photographed in the mid-morning sunshine and was very colorful. It's about 9 feet tall and I concentrated on the face, surrounded by a large frill. I wanted a whimsical, upbeat, happy feeling image.
Camera was a Canon R6 mark II and a Canon 55 to 250mm zoom lens. No filters. For post processing the image was cropped very slightly, Saturation and brightness lifted a little and a couple of distractions were removed using Clone Stamp in Photoshop. The eye looked a little dull in the original image so I created an extra layer, set the blend mode to Color Dodge, applied a hide-all layer mask and used a soft brush at 25% opacity to brush over just the eye until I got the color I was looking for. Hope you like it.
4 comments posted
Laurie McShane
This is definitely a whimsical and happy image! The Christmas display must be amazing. This is a beautiful maelstrom of color and motion that draws my eye around and around it. Wonderfully sharp and perfectly composed. Posted: 10/02/2026 12:23:12
Kathleen Colligan
Yes, you definitely captured the upbeat, happy feeling in this image. I love the whimsical, fun feel of your photo. The iridescent colors are so pretty, and the reds draw my attention to the dragon's face. Posted: 10/03/2026 23:32:03
Harrison Ball
Peter, great catch! I like the color palette and your treatment of the color and tone within the image. The placement and exposure are right on. Do you plan to go back when the display is finished? Christmas lights at night are so much fun to capture. Posted: 10/08/2026 10:58:57
Arabella Dane
I'm totally captivated by your dragon/lion! And your treatment of the eye is magical. The lighting throughout is delicious too. Posted: 10/09/2026 20:32:32
