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:Deep blue lake against which bleached rocks. Very cool. What I don't like in the picture:This example would be my proof that buying and carrying a long focal length lens is worth it. This image above was shot from the edge of a cliff at 138mm. It's okay, but feels a bit distant, remote, detached. What I learned:I zoomed in to 200mm (the limits of my m4/3 50-200mm zoom lens) to make the alternative composition at left. This one feels more engaging, more touchable. I think it is the foreshortening of the longer lens that makes the one at left feel less receding. It might be just my way of seeing, but I rarely feel the need to zoom out to a wide view, but on almost all my images I like to feel closer and in touch with the subject. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextStrange how the land and rocks feel like they are in b/w and the only color is in the blue of the lake water. In fact, this is a full color image with almost no processing at all. |
