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:This is a scene I find all over Japan — rows and rows of these carved figures in stone. Obviously, there is deep meaning in these displays for the Japanese. What I don't like in the picture:I've photographed displays like this on numerous occassions at numerous locations. None of the photographs are interesting — at least not as "straight" photographs. What I learned:Nonetheless, with some processing (like at left) an interesting image can sometimes be salvaged from an otherwise mundane image. I used the image at left in my project, More Dreams of Japan, in this PDF. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextMaybe I should revisit other images of this subject to see if there might be a hidden project in there somewhere. |
