Paradise

This is probably one of the most iconic images that one sees of Venice these days. Gondola bows bobbing in the lagoon at the San Marco station. So why the title paradise?
I have visited Venice many times in the past staying everywhere from station benches as a young man with little money to shabby chic Italian hotels as I grew older. On those occasions I always wanted to visit the city with others who would have the passion for seeing that I have. Not just the "right, seen that, what's next" attitude.
I visited Venice again this year with my partner and for the first time was absolutely "blown away" with everything the city had to offer. I saw the city in a new light with new eyes and new emotion. Gone were all the pretences and artificiality. In its place was a sense of seeing and sharing. I felt I had almost come full circle as with little money I managed to share sparkling wine in San Marco square at night under a myriad of lights only this time it was purchased from a supermarket for less than a pint of beer and to compliment it we had cheese rolls bought at the same time. A true feast and a moment in time never to be forgotten.
It's not where you have been or what you have seen, it's how you feel for a moment in your life and if you find that moment it lasts forever and becomes a personal paradise.
For those who have managed to read this far and want to know how the shot was created I have to thank a photoshop plugin by the name of OnOnes PhotoTools. After saturating the image with colour I then applied the filter to give more depth to the colour. This was then followed by adding the "orton process" to give it that dreamy look. Lastly I added a photo border to the image. This image has now become one of many prints that I sell and has been accepted by a gallery in my local town Chichester.