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
Mountains from Your Car Week
I know photographers whose sole subject matter are mountains — and their masterful efforts are breathtaking. I love the mountains as much as anyone else, as long as I can access them from the highway (my backpacking days are over). This week will be mountains from the comfort of your car.
What I saw that I liked:
This is the eastern side of the Steens Mountain fault block in southeast Oregon.
What I don't like in the picture:
The image above is deceptively not mountain-like. It just looks like a snowy hill. In fact, it's about 8,000 feet above sea level at the top edge of what you see.
What I learned:
The image at left was made just a few hundred yards from where I photographed the above. The road seems to amplify the distance and height of the mountains in the background. Context makes this image. The foreground is desert grass and sage brush as far as we can see — until the snow-covered mountains rise out of the desert in the distance. This is one of my all-time favorite landscapes for this reason. |
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