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.
Previous image | Next image |
Original digital capture
Composition via Isolation
Many photographers think geometrically about composition — for example, rule of thirds or leading lines. One of the most powerful compositional ideas is isolation. A common strategy is to use light to isolate a portion of the image against a background. Sometimes this is known as "layering." This week includes examples of this powerful compositional tool.
What I saw that I liked:
I love these moments when the sunlight reaches through the overhead trees and just kisses the forest floor.
What I don't like in the picture:
This image is about light, not green.
What I learned:
An easy decision to convert this one to grayscale. To increase the sense of three-dimensional layering, I darkened the leaves in the top/background to isolate the sunlit leaves. It's important in these images to have something in the background and not a featureless black. Black backgrounds always feel to me like studio compositions rather than being deep in the forest. |
|
