Another image from PyoChungSa Buddhist Temple in Miryang. While most dragons in western mythology are related to fire and destruction,the dragons in Korean mythology are benevolent beings, related to water and agriculture and attract the rain.

The Korean dragon lacks wings, but can still fly, has a long beard and has either 4 or 7 claws. Many legends maintain that these fabulous beasts reside in rivers, oceans or in ponds deep inside the mountains. In all cases, they are portrayed as enormous serpents associated with good luck and are a symbol of protection.

The background foliage in this image was take from a separate photo of a nearby tree all aglow from the brilliant autumn sunshine. I duplicated the background foliage, applied a lens blur, and reduced the opacity of that layer to obtain this soft radiant texture.



http://www.prestophoto.com/photos/image/2610834/19834

Joe what a great mix of the two photos. The dragon is really neat.

Thank you Judy, it is a very intricate carving, isn't it? There were two of them guarding the steps going from one level to another.

Joe your photo shows the detail so well. It is an amazing piece.

Great composition,Joe. The background adds to the picture.
Chas

Thank you Chas, Glad you like it. The original background was rather dull, so I had to create this image using the tree. Whenever I go on a photo shoot, I usually look for shots of anything that might make a good backdrop for other images just in case. These are not always used, but I save them in a folder of textures and Backgrounds for future use as well.

What a wonderful photo, Joe. I love the detail on the dragon. Great work.

Anita

Nice work, Joe.

Really excellent job selecting the dragon.

Rusty

Thank You Rusty, I really love the refine edge feature of CS5.

You come up with some of the neatest stuff. I'd love to go over there and spend a couple of months just wandering around with my camera.