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
Fall Colors in B/W
Admittedly, few subjects in photography are more beloved than the annual forest extravaganza of fall colors. It may not be obvious, but that pertains to us b/w folks, too! This week will present five examples where beautiful colors also can make beautiful b/w renditions.
What I saw that I liked:
Another strong diagonal punctuated almost like a pointillist painting technique.
What I see in the color picture:
I'm still trying to diagnose this, but to my eye the yellow leaves are so intense that they look out of focus. I saw this anomaly in a number of images from this trip. Note that the two versions were rendered from the same RAW capture.
What I see in the b/w version:
The fuzziness in the yellows disappears in the b/w version. I'm wondering if this has something to do with the rendition of color in my RGB monitor. For this reason alone, I much prefer the b/w version. The conversion also emphasizes the white tree trunks in the lower half of the image. |
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