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:Wandering around The Grotto in Portland, Oregon, I found these statues in the forest a real point of interest. What I don't like in the picture:Too much of the forest and not enough of the statue. To me, experienceing this place in real time, I found the forest and important element. In the photographs, however, the forest doesn't add enough to be of interest. What I learned:I got close to a number of the statues and found the closer I got, the more I liked the images. They became expressions of human emotion rather than statues. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextI have enough of these to try putting together a small project. Maybe a "Seeing in SIXES" type presentation. |
