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:Pelicans are so fun to watch. I made 334 exposures trying to get the perfect grouping of them. What I don't like in the picture:In the end, I'm not sure it matters what the grouping was. How is any grouping better than just the single pelican at left? What I learned:All the images of groups of pelicans in my Lightroom catalog remained unused — except the one at left. It has a bit more emotional content. All alone in a great big sky. Not very deep and meaningful, but at least there is something. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextI'm adding this one to a Kokoro project which I hope to publish in the next month or so. |
