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
Something from Nothing WeekNot infrequently, I'll look at an image in my Lightroom catalog and think, "What possible image did I think I saw in this mess?" This week, we'll look at examples that demonstrate why we should push ourselves to see what might be there, how we might create something from nothing. Trust the "you" that clicked the shutter. You never know when something interesting might be lurking in those pixels that seem to be hopeless. What I saw that I liked:That monstrous cloud behind the burnt trees. What I don't like in the picture:Whenever I'm photographing clouds, I know I'll want to underexpose so I don't lose any texture in the bright whites. That underexposure, however, turned the hillside into a dark patch that isn't working in the above. What I learned:I've mentioned before how impressed I am with the detail and textures that can be pulled up from the shadows in today's digital cameras. Amazing that I was able to create the b/w version at left out of the seemingly messy blacks of the above. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextI also love how the color mixer can create a dark, moody sky by lowering the luminance of the blues. |
