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 must like something in this near/far type of picture in the prairie because I have lots of them. What I don't like in the picture:I must dislike something in these near/far pictures in the prairie because I don't remember ever using one in a project. I think I must have at least a couple hundred variations on this image. What I learned:Whatever I'm supposed to learn from these examples, I haven't learned it yet. I keep looking at them in my Lightroom catalog and just never use them. Something obviously connects with me, but without knowing what that is, I'm at a loss. Sometimes a photographer's greatest asset is patience. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextMaybe I'll make a Lightroom collection of all of these and see if anything pops to mind. |
