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.
|
Original digital capture
What I saw that I liked:The little bleeding hearts were just lovely. What I don't like in the picture:I prefer photography as an interpretive medium rather than a factual and descriptive one. What I learned:Playing around with this image, I thought I'd try just fully desaturating the green. The pink against the gray leaps out as visual ballet. Sometimes just playing around is the path to something we like. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextWhat if I darkened the now gray leaves a bit? What if I brightened them a bit? |
