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
Going Back
It's said that we can't go back. True enough, but we can revisit a place we've photographed before and find something new! In fact, it's almost guaranteed we'll find something new. Things (including ourselves) are constantly changing. This week are five examples of going back — and being really glad I did.
What I saw that I liked:
The structure above is found south and east of Bend, Oregon. It's called Fort Rock. I've photographed it several times, all with different cloud formations, but essentially this same composition.
When I revisited this location:
A couple of months ago, I returned to Fort Rock. This time, however, I drove around that tail arc found on the left side of the above image.
What I saw that I hadn't seen before:
There is a huge wall of detailed rock that looks like it was bubbles in the lava that cooled. (I'm not a geologist.) I thought they were very like hieroglyphics that might be found on an Egyptian pyramid. At left are two different sections of that wall that I find interesting as abstracts. |
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