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.
|
Original digital capture
What I saw that I liked:These gates into a farm are common in the west. Typically, they have a cow skull hanging from the cross bar, but this one had a yoke. What I don't like in the picture:Too much surrounding and non sequitur stuff in the version above. What I learned:The one at left is simpler, but obscure. If you've never been to the western US, you may have no idea what this is a picture of. A good example how culture provides the context for artwork. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextI have a number of these types of gate images. Do I have enough for a Seeing in SIXES type of project? |
