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
Choosing Between Variants
So often, the measure of an artist is the sum total of the decisions made along the way to the final production. In essence, choosing between the variants is the core of doing artwork. A or B, color or b/w, vertical or horizontal, X or Y. This week will be an exploration of these choices.
Thoughts on these two variants:
I think both the color and the monochrome versions of this subject work just fine. The orientation is the key difference here and that factor alone would probably push me into final use decisions based on the project and which version fits most comfortably. That said, I prefer the color version at left from a compositional point of view. That tuft of grasses in the lower left is a nice counter point to the big rock and the trees above.
Now that we have AI Removal tools at the click of the mouse, I might be tempted to crop the top and digitally remove that dead tree to the left of the rock. Maybe. Have to try it to see if that is better. Live and learn, or "the variants multiply as the technology improves." |
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