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:Lava on the Big Island in Hawaii. What I don't like in the picture:Like yesterday's image, this is one in which I liked the shapes but not the tones. Too gray. Too lifeless. What I learned:Here is a processing approach I learned from the late Jack Curran when we taught a workshop together. Take a "properly exposed" image and darken it by pushing the exposure down. Get the blacks to be dark, dark, but not empty black. Then use the brush tool to paint in the light where you want to viewer's eye to go. Simple. Very creative. With numberless possibilities for your personal expression. I love the way the image at left is so much more three-dimensional than the gray version above. BTW, this technique is a great place to use Snapshot, the History Panel, and lots of Undo. Play to your hearts content. |
