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:Fall leave in Maine. Yowza! What I don't like in the picture:I did two versions of this bank of trees, the one with the lake water above, and the one without at left. Hmmmm. . . . What I learned:Selecting which is the better image is a challenge. This is a great example of the aging process. I'll print both of these, thumbtack them to the wall and live with them for a while. One or the other will survive, but it will take time for the better one to surface. Patience is a virtue. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextThese prints might need to be larger than I usually do. |
