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:If there is fog, I'm making pictures. Can't stop me. I do love the way the tallest tree seems to be pointing directly toward the sun. What I don't like in the picture:Man, do I want to like this image! I was able to recover enough highlight to make the disc of the sun more visible; I rotated the image a bit in cropping. I really ought to like it. What I learned:I'm pretty sure this is one of those images that I'm fond of because of my memory of being there and photographing it. Unfortunately, everyone else who sees the picture were not there and don't have my memories. The picture has to stand on its own — and this one just doesn't. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextMaybe it has too much boring gray in the middle third of the image. If I cut that part out and brought the sun closer to the trees . . . |
