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:A sense of solitariness and melancholy. What I don't like in the picture:The version above was made in China during my trip there in 2017. I liked the idea, but not crazy about the dull light and flat grays. What I learned:Fortunately, during my trip to China in 2019, I found almost the exact shot in a completely different location. This one had a black chair and little light stripe in the cement on the bottom of the left wall. Yay. Patience and persistence are virtues. Luck helps a lot, too. |
