Photography, for me, has been an incredible means of expressing myself in ways that weren't possible thirty years ago. With the use of powerful editing programs like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, the only thing that really can limit you is your own imagination.

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Rick Sammon speak as one of the keynote speakers at FotoClave, a Northern California photo event that took place in November.

As he spoke and shared his beautiful imagery, I was again reminded of what an incredible time this is for photographers. With the right training and patience, we can create what we see in our mind.

Armed with one of Photoshop's oldest tools, the pen tool, and my imagination, I created my silhouette series. While it started as a joke between a fellow photographer and me, it soon became a wonderful way to create whimsical and magical imagery.

I'll share some of my favorites with you here. Thank you, Rick, for the opportunity!

Opening Image: Where a Giraffe Can Follow You - This was the first image I made of my friend walking in the shallow waters of the Great Salt Lakes in Utah. I have always loved the deep and vibrant colors of a sunset and sharp outlines of silhouettes, so even before the addition of the giraffe, I already loved this image. The giraffe just brings the viewer into a more magical place where anything is possible . . .

. . . where you can dance with an elephant.

. . . where you can high five a lion.

. . . where you can give a giraffe a drink of water.

As I realized how childhood dreams could come to life, I started asking my kids what they wanted to do. My son wanted to fight a dragon with a three headed hydra that he had drawn.

My daughter wanted to tame a Pegacorn.

My good friend's daughter wanted to catch a hummingbird, her late grandmother's favorite animal.

And I was all too happy to oblige.

I am reminded of Shel Silverstein's poem, "Listen to the Musnt's"

“Listen to the mustn'ts, child.
Listen to the don'ts.
Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts.
Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me...
Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”

Smart guy, that Silverstein guy.

Laura Morita is a photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area. She takes limited clients and also teaches editing to photographers through her SHINE ~ Unleash Your Awesome workshops.