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
Abstract WeekIf you detest abstracts, please forgive me. I love them! I've made a long-term study of them. Making abstracts is a bit of a mystery, but there are a few ideas that can help. That is the focus of this week's EPIC images. Idea #1:The ratio of foreground to backgroundWhat I don't like in the picture:Same tree in Capitol Reef, Utah, photographed 9 years apart. The above has too many distracting elements in the background. What I learned:When I think of foreground and background, I don't think in terms of square millimeters, but rather in terms of the amount of attention each draws from viewing the image. In the above, the upper right corner and the bushes in the lower right pull my eye from the main subject — the tree. Noting that when I reviewed the image back home, I determined that if I ever had a chance to return to Capitol Reef, I'd do a better job of composing to eliminate those distractions. When I did return in 2021, all I needed to do was pull forward a few yards to make the composition at left. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextThis image is just barely waving hello to the idea of an abstract, but I've included it this week because it illustrates the point about foreground versus background attention so well. |
