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:A fun evening performance of a Mongolian wedding. What I don't like in the picture:I offer the one above as proof that I have no idea how to photograph live performances. I'm too far away, have a static composition of a dance (which is hard to do with all that movement), bad color balance, and the wrong shutter speed. There's more, but that's enough to make my point. What I learned:Luck happens, too. I kinda like the one at left, even with the goofy color balance. Wish I had done more like this. Maybe next time I'm witness to a Mongolian wedding. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextCould I take some of the other images and fake this look with smearing pixels and purposely blurring things? Hmmmm. . . |
