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
Potential Project Ideas Week
I'm on a two-month long trip to the West coast to do some photography and a couple of presentations. This week, I'll explore some potential projects from my first couple of weeks on the road.
What I saw that I liked:
This location is an old CCC camp in upstate Minnesota known as Rabideau. It's in the process of being cleaned up and revitalized as a tourist attraction.
What I don't like in the picture:
The above is one of the buildings (a former barracks, I think) that has been gutted and repaired. I love the light, but it's use in a Seeing in SIXES project is not guaranteed. It's too barren and there is no sign of life, current or historic.
What I learned:
My habit in these kinds of places is to search for compositions that show evidence of the activity and people who used to occupy the space. The image at left does that far better than the one above.
That said, there is a valid strategy in a project to begin the presentation with an overview image that establishes the location or the theme. In cinema, this is know as "the establishing shot." The above could be an establishing shot followed by 5 other detail shots that round out the presentation. Fortunately, I have 24 compositions from this shoot that I like. I might have two Seeing in SIXES projects. The second one is all about the spider webs in the buildings. A potential title occurs to me: Spider Webs and Memories. |
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