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:Nostalgia on parade! What I don't like in the picture:The problem with nostalgic pictures is that you have to be born at the right time and have the same experiences or those things that are nostalgic to the photographer will not connect with people who share the same experiences. What I learned:I know the image at left is a kitchen stove because this is the exact stove we had in my parent's home when I was a boy. For me, this is meaningful — much more so than the salt shakers above. For you youngsters, I suspect neither of these images will strike a chord at all. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextThis is where text can come into play. If I were to use these images in a project, the words "kitchen stove" and "salt shakers" might be strategically important to use. |
