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
Variations Week
Whenever I'm out photographing and just "gathering assets," I never know or can predict how I will eventually use an image in a project. Will I need a vertical or a horizontal composition? Because I don't know, I find it useful to capture both. The same for close vs far, wide angle vs telephoto, shallow vs deep depth of field. This week, I'll post examples of this strategy that emphasizes flexibility.
What I saw that I liked:
I have not idea what this plant is, but the fact that it was thriving in this white clay was visually very fun.
What I don't like in the picture:
The above was my first composition, but the more I looked at it, the more I realized that it was the details in the unknown plant that needed to be seen. The version above shows the context better, but would need to be a very large print to reveal the details.
What I learned:
The version at left is a compromise that shows the dotted pattern in the white clay while also allowing details in the plants to be revealed in a modest size print. I think it's important to have both versions of this scene because I don't know how I'll end up using this and the flexibility in having both versions is a safety strategy.
2nd Chances: What I might try next
I have a third, even closer version, just in case. |
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