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.
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Original digital capture
What I saw that I liked:BIF — birds in flight — is a sub-genre of photography where I am a rank amateur. I like photographing them, but those who specialize in wildlife photography are much more skilled at it than I am. Nonetheless, it's fun! What I don't like in the picture:The one above is from 2004. One of the very early images with my first digital camera. Not much to praise except that it whet my whistle to try more. What I learned:Luck is an important component in BIF imagery. At least it is for an amateur like me. I was photographing a landscape and just happened to have a long lens on my camera when this flock of birds (left) took flight. I whipped around and quickly pressed the shutter. I didn't intent to be off kilter with the horizon line, but I sure do love it as the birds tilt, too. 100% luck, but I'll take it. The second lesson I learned:It's often said about fine art photography that feelings are more important than facts. The image at left feels more like birds in flight because of the tilt. By wildlife standards, this isn't a very good photograph, but by "feeling standards," I think it's a winner. |
