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
More First Days with
an Early Digital Camera
This week I'm again looking at five images from my very first days with a digital camera. Lesson #1 - don't ever throw away a digital capture because advancing technology will provide unanticipated possibilities. Lesson #2, you will continue to learn — lots — and that is just as it should be.
What I saw that I liked:
I liked the composition; I hated the color rendition.
What I don't like in the picture:
Besides the fact that the color balance is off in the above, the color version also smooshes the detail in the field into a featureless blob of ugly green.
What I learned:
This image was the test image I used to learn about Photoshop sharpening. Perhaps the version at left is a bit too aggressive, but it us detailed and textural. When the "Clarity" control was added to Lightroom, that really made a difference. Again, so glad I didn't delete this one because I didn't like the original above. |
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