23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
Kings of the Forest

A dark eyed Junco told the crowned king,forest is where song birds go, for to rest in trees and sing. Tho' birds don't live like kings, they fly with angel wings! This is a composite of two pictures. I photographed the dark eyed junco that I saw in a corn field, the afternoon of October 18, 2024. The art work I created strictly from my imagination after seeing a faint design etched in the grain of a tree in the woods that reminded me of king's face wearing a crown which I shot a picture of on October 25, 2024. Then I embellished what I saw with a few extra touches that I added with the help of photo shop for the 'king' to wear a blue robe to match the crown and a walking stick in his gloved hand. The glasses were already there in the design. It was not an easy project which I found out after I got started, but it was satisfying to create.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2024
Date Uploaded: 10.2025
Photo Location: Ellsworth, Wi, United States of America
Camera: COOLPIX P1000
Copyright: © Andrea Petersen