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.
|
Original digital capture
What I saw that I liked:Nostalgic kitchen scene at the Shaker Village. What I don't like in the picture:The above is actually exposure #1 in a 9-shot focus stack. What I learned:After I had completed the focus stack, I still wasn't thrilled. I composed too closely to the left edge of the frame for both the cloth and the bowels. The top edge is also cutting off the largest of the bowels. Nothing that can't be fixed with Generative Fill. Hard to believe that the image above is the root of the one at left, but it is. That's the power of today's processing tools. Wow. 2nd Chances: What I might try next"Yes, but . . ." why not compose more carefully and use a smaller aperture for great depth of field? First, I was too close to be able to render sufficient DOF without focus stacking. This was a dark room where tripods were not allowed, so I had to use high ISO and a handheld sequence. Sometimes you just have to use all the tools at your disposal to succeed. |
