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:Obviously, I like this sweeping composition of tree branches emerging from the side edge of the picture. What I don't like in the picture:The version above was taken at night with the lights from our back deck as the only source of illumination. The dusting of snow makes this more interesting, but the total lack of background also makes it flat and two-dimensional. What I learned:The image at left has a slightly shallow depth of field, but the real dimensional quality of this image comes from the difference in tones. That those trees in the background are gray is what makes this composition feel so three-dimensional. You gotta love photographing in fog! |
