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:Sometimes, we are blessed with an overflow of possibilities — which is what I found during the sunny day following a major ice storm. What I don't like in the picture:I like both of these. I like both of them a lot. How do we choose? What I learned:The first lesson is that we might be able to choose both (or more!) with a multi-image project. The second lesson is that the choice of which image might be determined by the others in the project. If I want to celebrate nature in its purity, the one above would be the choice. If I want to introduce a human element into the composition, the one at left might be the choice. In other words, choosing is a process that first requires a specific destination. |
