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
What I saw that I liked:Storm clouds. Yay. What I don't like in the picture:Here again, it's not that I don't like the above image, but the distance between the bottom of the cloud and the horizon line places these clouds in the sky. The threat is in the rain, not the clouds. What I learned:The image at left, however, seems much more ominous because the clouds are at our level and seem to be much more of a threat. The bush-like tree in the foreground feels like it is in much greater danger than the land does in the above. First person experiential, that's the key that makes for a powerful photograph. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextI've purposely made this image dark and somber. I was once criticized for blowing the exposure and making this image too dark. Lincoln was right, you can't please all the people all the time. |
