Brooks Jensen Arts - Every Picture Is a Compromise

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Every Picture is a Compromise
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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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Reasons to Crop an Image #1
Eliminate Distractions

There are those who insist that cropping is a cheat for not composing accurately in the camera. I disagree. Never feel guilty about cropping if it makes the picture better. This week will offer examples.

What I saw that I liked:

I love the yellow on top of the sky blue behind it.

What I don't like in the picture:

The left side of the picture has too much blue (or not enough leaves).

What I learned:

All that blue on the left pulls my eye to that side of the image. A simple crop in from the left side eliminates that distraction. Yes, this changes the aspect ratio, but who cares? If the picture is stronger without the distraction, I'll crop it every time.