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
It's a B/W World Week
Most photographers these days will create some images in color and some in b/w. What are the reasons for choosing b/w in this colorful world? Here are five good reasons for a b/w image: emphasize shapes, emphasize tones, fix unattractive colors, alter a specific color to a b/w tone, all about the light.
What I saw that I liked:
There is a movement to these grass stalks that is very lyrical.
What I don't like in the picture:
The exposure above is a bit too dark and certainly too flat. I needed to get the grass stalks to stand our more against the soil.
What I learned:
A simple conversion to b/w brought the stalks into tonal dominance. There isn't much color to the original, but whatever color there is in the background gets eliminated into a neutral gray.
2nd Chances: What I might try next
I think this one is done to my satisfaction. |
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