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:At the Hancock Shaker Village in New York. What I don't like in the picture:I immediately loved the repeating ovals in the stack of wooden bowls. I also immediately knew this would require a focus stack to get everything sharp. What I learned:Unfortunately, while I was concentrating my efforts on the focus stack, I completely missed that I had cut off the top edge and left edge of the largest bowl. Today's processing to my rescue. After I completed the focus stack, I then used Generative Fill to expand the image to include the top and left edges of the bowl. The image at left is exactly as I had seen it in my mind's eye. Thank goodness I had the tools to fix a poor job of composition in the field. |
