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
Something from Nothing WeekNot infrequently, I'll look at an image in my Lightroom catalog and think, "What possible image did I think I saw in this mess?" This week, we'll look at examples that demonstrate why we should push ourselves to see what might be there, how we might create something from nothing. Trust the "you" that clicked the shutter. You never know when something interesting might be lurking in those pixels that seem to be hopeless. What I saw that I liked:I've never met a winter tree I couldn't photograph. What I don't like in the picture:The underexposed sky was the problem in the above. I knew it needed help. What I learned:The more I pushed the sky to go lighter and lighter, the more I realized this needed to be a square format with emphasis on the few remaining leaves. Sweet! Also, I tend not to want to cut off the top branched in my winter tree images, but this one felt better to let the branches go right to the edge of the image. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextI need to look for some more winter tree images. For seven years in a row in the late 1990s, I did an annual Winter Trees folio of 5 images. It's been 20+ years since I did one. I think it's time. |
