Brooks Jensen Arts - Every Picture Is a Compromise

Site Table of Contents
Complete List of Projects

Kokoro
Bi-monthly PDF Image Journal

Every Picture is a Compromise
A Series About Keepers, Also-rans, and Learning from Mistakes

On Creativity
Books, articles, podcast

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.

Click on the image to see it larger

Previous image | Next image

Original digital capture

Click on the image to see it larger

Waiting for the Light Week

We can't always wait for that gorgeous light that brings a touch of magic to a landscape, but when we can the reward is worth it.

What I saw that I liked:

A fantastic bit of landscape with wonderfully textured rock and monumental trees.

What I don't like in the picture:

The version above has no shadows. It was an entirely overcast morning. I made the picture anyway, but I knew it wasn't going to blow my socks off.

What I learned:

I retraced my travels later in the day and came back to this same spot. The sun had come out and how there were shadows that helped define the details in every rock and branch. In fact, the details were so inviting that I decided the color from the rocks was unnecessary, hence the conversion to b/w.