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
Subtle Color Week
The current passion of so many photographers these days is to hyper-saturate the colors in their images to unrealistic intensity. Viewing these images always feel like I'm being shouted at. Is there not an aesthetic that celebrates subtle colors? Of course there is.
Premise:
For such a long time we photographers have had two basic choices — b/w or color. I suppose there have also been sepia tones, psychedelic colors, and others, but they were the exceptions to the standard b/w or color. Here in the digital age, however, the latest fad is to push color to extremes. The above image is an example. The colors are not psychedelic, but they are also not real, nor normal human vision. Color on steroids, the volume up to 11, shouting at us for attention.
What I don't like:
When I see a book or a gallery exhibition with this aesthetic, I want to head for the exit as fast as I can. Such image seem cacophonous to my sensibilities. It hurts my eyes.
A subtle color alternative:
Fortunately, there are alternatives — like subtle color renditions. That's the topic of the week, subtle color renditions compared to b/w non-color images. |
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