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:An early 19th Century Unitarian church in upstate New York. What I don't like in the picture:The above was the first attempt at this composition. I liked the view, but the contrast ratio was off the charts. I knew I would need to do an HDR to preserve the details on the outside of the window. The image at left is the second exposure for the HDR that preserves the details seen in the window. What I learned:For reasons I'm not sure I can verbalize, once I had seen the image on the left, I was surprised how much more interesting it was than the "properly exposed" interior of the above image. I find the one at left has more mood. I also like the metaphor of the darkened interior compared to the outdoor scene. I guess this is a great example of being open to luck and the sometimes virtue of letting go of our plans. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextOn my monitor, there is a slight red cast to the interior in the left image. Should I try to neutralize that? |
