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:I'm captivated by newly fallen snow on winter trees. What I learned:The other day I made a Here's a Thought … comment about sensor noise and high-frequency images. Here is the image I was discussing. Above is the full image, shot on my m4/3 camera (a Panasonic GX8). I printed this at maximum size on 13x19" paper. It looks great. I couldn't be more pleased. Then, just by chance, I noticed that using Auto ISO, my camera had cranked the ISO up to maximum for this image — ISO 12,800. Could that possibly be true? The image at left is a pixel-peeping portion of the above, viewed at 200%. Do you see any noise? I don't, not even at that degree of enlargement. It's there, but only visible at unrealistic enlargements and ridiculous viewing distances. The high frequency detail overpowers the sensor noise so that it simply disappears. The image at left is the equivalent of viewing a 26x38" print (if I owned such a printer). I would never have chosen to shoot this at ISO 12,800 because I'm prejudiced against such high ISOs. Clearly, I am mistaken and such high ISOs are simply not a problem with certain images like these high-frequency images with lots of tiny details. |
