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:The steps above were photographed years after the version at left. I love the concept. What I don't like in the picture:You'd never know it by looking at these two similar images, but they had completely different purposes. The one at left was photographed in Japan as part of a cultural exploration of Japan — but there is nothing in that image that gives any sense of Japan. As a Japan image, it is a total failure. What I learned:On the other hand, these two have planted a seed for a small project involving leaves on steps. I've discovered that I have a bunch of these in my Lightroom catalog. Even though the one at left fails the Japan project, it fits perfectly in a project of leaves on steps. Another example of mining our image assets for a project idea. Also, another reason not to delete images that are "failures." They may be winners in a different context. |
