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 an example of why I prefer zoom lenses. What I don't like in the picture:Early in the morning, overlooking the bay at Hainan, China. I saw this boat going by, grabbed my camera and shot the above. The boat is way too small for my liking. What I learned:Literally 5 seconds later I shot the version at left after zooming out from 72mm to 200mm. If I had needed to swap prime lenses to get that shot, I would never have been able to swap fast enough to get the closer version at left. All the tools and skills in the world won't help you if you are slowed down by your equipment and miss the moment. |
