Every Picture Is a Compromise
Lessons from the Also-rans
Most photography websites show the photographer's very best work. Wonderful. But that's not the full story of a creative life. If we want to learn, we'd better pay attention to the images that aren't "greatest hits" and see what lessons they have to offer. Every picture is a compromise — the sum of its parts, optical, technical, visual, emotional, and even cosmic – well, maybe not cosmic, but sometimes spiritual. Success on all fronts is rare. It's ok to learn from those that are not our best.
This is a series about my also-rans, some of which I've been able to improve at bit (i.e., "best effort"), none of which I would consider my best. With each there are lessons worth sharing, so I will.
|
Original digital capture
What I saw that I liked:I shot the one at left first. I knew it was an obvious one and a bit cliché, but it was sort of a compulsory. What I don't like in the picture:What could I do that would be a bit more inventive? What I learned:So I next shot the one above, thinking the near/far thing might work. You place your bets, you take your chances. In this case, total bust on the "inventive." In retrospect however, maybe this is precisely why we should photograph the obvious ones, even if they are cliché. Better to have a nice cliché than a non-existent one when your "inventive" ones go bust. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextBTW, the one at left has a forced color balance that I can only justify by saying it felt right — not accurate, but right. |
