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:I composed the image above because of the oval rock formation that created a flow of the smaller rocks that surround it. What I don't like in the picture:The above is simplistic, but passable. Maybe barely. What I learned:As I looked at this hillside for a few more minutes, searching for another composition, I suddenly did a Rorschach projection and saw a face in the rocks. Can you see it? The problem with this kind of recognition is that once you see it, you can't un-see it. So, why not photograph it just for fun. Should I title this one, "Winking Hillside"? Or is that too much? |
