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:Nature never makes and aesthetic mistake. What I don't like in the picture:The mistake that so often crops up is the feeling that we want to control mother nature and we simply can't. I wasn't thrilled by the scene above because I wanted the air to be clear and clean. Mother nature disagreed with me. What I learned:We have two choices. We can vainly attempt to impose our will on mother nature or we can take what she gives us and do our best with it. I often find that success can be found when we put up the least resistance to what we are given. It may not be what we want, but that in itself is a lesson in the humility of being an art maker. I often think of Monet and his failing eyesight that gave us such marvelous paintings. |
