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
Overlooked Week
For some time now, I've advocated mining our Lightroom catalog for forgotten and overlooked gems. This week will include successful images that pulled my attention away from other images that have remained hidden gems — but have recently been rediscovered.
What I saw that I liked:
Yet another example of donning blinders and missing a good shot. The one above is great in that it places the trees against the snow-covered hillside. I like that. Compositionally, its about the pattern rather than the burnt trees. That's okay, but the real story of this hillside is the fire that consumed this entire canyon in the previous summer months.
What I uncovered in my archives:
I don't even remember taking the picture at left. Obviously at the same place and according to the meta data, shot about 7 minutes after the one above. In the one at left, I prefer the story it tells by showing a close tree and its details but then placing it in the context of the hillside of trees. There is a near/far spatial thing happening that clarifies the story a bit. I haven't used this one in a project yet, but now that I've found it, you can bet I will. |
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