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
Mountains from Your Car Week
I know photographers whose sole subject matter are mountains — and their masterful efforts are breathtaking. I love the mountains as much as anyone else, as long as I can access them from the highway (my backpacking days are over). This week will be mountains from the comfort of your car.
What I saw that I liked:
In the San Juan Mountains near Durango, Colorado.
What I don't like in the picture:
The version above was photographed on the first day down this road. Handheld. Okay, but not great.
What I learned:
There is just a bit too much room at the top, so in the version at left I used a tripod to get a more precise alignment between the tip of the mountain and the edge of the image. Also, the one at left was taken about an hour before the one above, albeit on the following day.
Additional notes
I did use DeHaze on the one at left which always shifts the shadows a bit purple for reasons I don't understand. This shadow shift necessitated some white balance adjustments which brought out the green in the pines. I like it. |
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