Brooks Jensen Arts - Every Picture Is a Compromise

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

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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

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When Processing Is the Key

Being out in the world with our camera is fun, but processing is what makes an image rise to the level of personal expression. This week will concentrate on processed images — some subtly, some radically.

What I saw that I liked:

This is a desk in a Gilded Age museum in upstate New York.

What I don't like in the picture:

The shallow depth of field in the image above works just fine, but wasn't what I wanted for this shot.

What I learned:

I did a quick focus stack of a dozen images to get the version at left. Both images work, but in different ways. I prefer the version at left, but if I only had the above, I'd still feel ok about using it.

Also, notice that I thought the candle should have been lit, but it wasn't. An easy fix in the digital workflow.