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:Boy, do I have a lot of images like this one that aren't really failures, but they certainly aren't successes either! What I don't like in the picture:We've heard it preached that photography is about light. Yes, I won't argue that, but it's also about the shadows. In the above, I loved that beam of sunlight on pine needles and the rim light on the tree trunk. But that light needs to be seen against a hillside of shadow that is its contrast. I knew that at the time of exposure and planned to darken those shadows — at left. Worked perfectly as I wanted and predicted. The only problem is that it doesn't make for a very interesting photograph. Maybe someday I'll find a project where this one fits beautifully, but until then is sits in the "meh" pile with about 98% of my other digital captures. Magic is elusive. You may quote me on that. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextWhat if I pushed the highlights in those shadow down even further? Maybe . . . |
