Brooks Jensen Arts - Every Picture Is a Compromise

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Every Picture is a Compromise
A Series About Keepers, Also-rans, and Learning from Mistakes

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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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Background Week

Sometimes, the picture succeeds not because the subject is powerful, but rather because the background makes the subject more visually captivating. This week's examples all share an aggressive processing of the background that converts a modest subject into a more memorable one.

What I saw that I liked:

At first, I couldn't decipher if these were coins or markers. I think they are meaningful to the utility crews who do the maintenance.

What I don't like in the picture:

The background overpowers the coins which are overexposed anyway.

What I learned:

Simply darkening the exposure in Lightroom brought out the text in the metal and pushed the background to a deep, yet still textured black.

2nd Chances: What I might try next

I haven't found a use for this image yet. Yet. One never knows!