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
How did I miss this one? Week
Sometimes while working my Lightroom catalog, I'll completely miss an image that shouldn't be ignored. This week will be examples of images I unburied from the depths of my archives to discover a gem I'd been overlooking for years.
What I saw that I liked:
First day our photographing this trip to Japan. Need to warm up my vision a bit before I shift into high gear.
What I don't like in the picture:
I had a good idea with the first effort above, but I was too far away.
What I learned:
The above image was the top image in a 12-image stack in the Library Module of Lightroom. (I use stacks a lot to organize my images.) The one at left was buried in the stack and I just discovered it there a couple of weeks ago. Same idea as the above, but a much better execution.
2nd Chances: What I might try next
I need to develop a habit of expanding all stacks when I'm reviewing images in a folder that contains stacks. Never know what might be hiding in there! This is especially true when using "auto-stack." |
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