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
Palouse Panorama Week
The region known as "The Palouse" in southeast Washington state has become a kind of mecca for photographers in recent years. A major wheat farming area, the Palouse offers all kinds of fascinating patterns and colors for photographers to explore. I always seem to gravitate to panorama format images, which will be the topic of images this week.
What I saw that I liked:
The patterns in this spring growth appeal to my eye for abstracts. I have no idea why the drive over the wheat, but I suppose it must have something to do with watering or fertilizing.
What I don't like in the picture:
I love the 4:3 aspect ratio of my cameras and often stick with that aspect ratio without any cropping.
What I learned:
The Palouse, however, is different. For reasons I can't quite put my finger on, I seem to see differently in The Palouse. Almost all my work from there gravitates to a panorama format. My most often used aspect ratio is 2.15:1. I wonder if this has something to do with the rolling hills and some natural frequency that appears so often there.
2nd Chances: What I might try next
Another aspect of photographing in The Palouse for me is the color of the spring wheat. My camera always seem to record the color with more yellow in the green than I see in my heart. I move the greens a bit away from the yellow and like that color rendition a lot more than the auto-white balance my camera records. |
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