Brooks Jensen Arts


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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Get Closer Week

Any advice that is supposed to be universal is probably bad advice. That said, I think there are very few pictures that aren't improved by moving closer. This week's examples might help illustrate the wisdom of simply taking a step or two toward the subject, or at least zooming in a bit.

What I saw that I liked:

Rural scene in China. These are harvesting baskets I later saw filled with oranges.

What I don't like in the picture:

The subjects above are to much shifted to the right.

What I learned:

A step forward and to the left balanced the image. I also moved in from 41mm to 43mm focal length. Photography is often a game of inches. Sometimes a minor tweak makes a huge difference.