Brooks Jensen Arts - Every Picture Is a Compromise

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Every Picture is a Compromise
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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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What I saw that I liked:

The chaos of nature on parade.

What I don't like in the picture:

Long-time readers know I am a fan of the challenge of turning nature's chaos into a human aesthetic. But how?

What I learned:

Here is an example — not a formula, but an example.

Gid rid of the green background by cropping to a square.
Remove any green that's left by desaturing all the green out of the scene.
Punch up the red colors a bit with saturation — not too much, just a bit.
Sharpen and texturize as preferred.
Done.

2nd Chances: What I might try next

Another one I need to print.