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
Failures in the WoodsThis week's podcast at www.lenswork.com discusses different strategies for different landscapes. Dovetailing with those thoughts, this week I'll illustrate the challenges of photographing in the woods. What I saw that I liked:Maybe a stream? What I don't like in the picture:I thought this stream might help add a little order to the chaos. It didn't. What I learned:If you can't tame nature with your careful compositions, maybe the chaos itself can become the subject of the photograph. The image at left is 99% chaos with just a few tree trunks to give us the counter balance. I like these kinds of rule-breakers, but I know they are not everyone's cup of tea. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextIf you want to see more images that embrace the chaos successfully, check out the work of Thomas Josua Cooper. He did two books of these types of images back in the 1980s and both of them are just terrific. |
