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
Mud and Muck WeekWhat I saw that I liked:David Kingham and Jennifer Renwick introduced me to the fantastic mud cracks in Death Valley. They've done some wonderful photographs of the colors they find. What I don't like in the picture:I gave it my best shot, but all of my images look like tan cracked mud. None of the magic of their images. What I learned:That's okay. Sometimes you just have to make your own magic. I didn't see the colors they saw, but I was spellbound by the patterns. I reversed all the images and then played around with creating my own color renditions. I still like theirs better, but I'm pretty happy with what I'm getting that is my own vision. Here are some of David's Death Valley mud shots. Here are some of Jennifer's. |
