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
Panorama Week
For the last couple of weeks, I've been discussing square format images. This week I visit the opposite end of the format spectrum by concentrating on the panorama format. There is no consensus on the "correct" aspect ratio for panorama images, but I find I tend to use my personal favorite most often — a ratio of 2.15:1. I have no logic for this ratio, I just like it!
What I saw that I liked:
The Grand Canyon on a particularly smoky day.
What I don't like in the picture:
The Grand Canyon is a long thing. That's difficult to convey in a 4:3 format photograph.
What I learned:
Almost every image I made this trip to the Grand Canyon could be cropped to my 2.15:1 aspect ratio and work. Was I just seeing in pano format that day? Or is this a characteristic of the Canyon itself?
2nd Chances: What I might try next
See Kokoro, Vol. 7, No. 2,
October 2021 for the PDF of this project. |
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