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've spend a lot of time over the last 50 years photographing "bad lands." These two are from South Dakota. What I don't like in the picture:Although the above is a composition of layers, the image tends to seem flat to my eye. What I learned:The trick in photographing badlands like this is to use the natural land forms (and sometimes the colors) to create a pattern the pulls the eye into the image. The version at left does so with that leading line that pulls us up and in. Then, the horizontal line of another hilltop at the top edge of the frame keeps our eye from flying out of the composition. 2nd Chances: What I might try nextI can't remember now if this image had color in the dirt or not. Might need to check the original capture to see if this might better be a color image. |
