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
Saturated Colors Week
I'm generally not a fan of hyper-real colors. Then again, sometimes a super saturated color is just the thing that's needed to jump start our imagination. This week will feature 5 images where truth and true color flew out the window in favor of exaggerated colors that fit the content and intent of the images.
What I saw that I liked:
I guess I've never met a random paint stroke I didn't like.
What I don't like in the picture:
Color is a funny thing. I like the brush strokes, but that awful green is beyond awful.
What I learned:
The more I played with the awful green to find a more acceptable corner of the rainbow, the more I kept pushing this image warmer and warmer. For some reason, this added a three-dimmensionality to the image that brought it to life. I won't be hanging this one above the fireplace, but at least now I'm not embarrassed by that awful (did I mention this?) green. |
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