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:I am not even an average portrait photographer, but I occasionally give it a to. What I don't like in the picture:The only two bits of wisdom I ever seem to remember is to avoid having the subject stare back at the camera with a Kodak smile and a hand gesture; and, if possible, capture a gesture in mid action. The above succeeds in the first, but fails in the second. What I learned:Keep firing. Capturing that gesture requires a bit of luck. The one at left is better, but still a pretty bad portrait. I only share these two here to demonstrate the validity of the gesture idea. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextThere are no second changes with this one. It's only an image to learn from and move on. |
