In the offseason, resident photographer Richard Duval selects certain images and moves into fine art mode. Using various software tools (but not Photoshop), he experiments with tone, light, symmetry, and shadow to create a new image that is then printed on metallic-coated paper and fused to a sheet of aluminum for display. This month’s Pic of the Vine – titled “Blue Vine” – is a recent addition to that collection.

“My intent is to illustrate the wine world we see every day in a different fashion,” Duval said. “I’m always drawn to the natural beauty of the vineyard, but I’m also intrigued by what I might uncover by deliberately and carefully altering the photo’s elements. Blue Vine conjures the stark cold of the winter season but also underscores the precision of the rows, carefully tended throughout the year.”

Click on the picture for a larger image. Enjoy!