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
Failures in the WoodsThis week's podcast at www.lenswork.com discusses different strategies for different landscapes. Dovetailing with those thoughts, this week I'll illustrate the challenges of photographing in the woods. What I saw that I liked:A giant tree in the Hoh Rain Forest with fall leaves. Yippee! What I don't like in the picture:I love photographing in the woods, but sometimes there is just too much chaos and too many details. What I learned:This is a good example of changing the scale to find a composition. The one above is too chaotic, but the one at left, in spite of the fact that it shows many more trees, is actually a simpler composition that's easier to view and understand. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextThis subject (mist in the the mountains) has become a favorite subject of mine. You can see a full project titled Whereabouts Unknown in this issue of Kokoro. |
