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:This is at a street market in Beijing, China. What I don't like in the picture:The image above with just the books is interesting because it's a pile of books. That said, we have no idea what these books are about unless you happen to read Chinese — which I don't. What I learned:A nearby stall also featured books but this one seems pretty clear what these books are about. Literacy in language is complex and difficult. Literacy in images is easier and easily breeches cultural barriers. This goes for our photographs, too. If an image, for example, needs a title to be understood, how will you accomplish that in a world of global distribution? 2nd Chances: What I might try nextElsewhere in this street market I found a vendor who was selling magazines, several of which had President George W. Bush on the cover. |
