I was scrolling Reddit just now, looking for some nice nature photos to use as computer desktop backgrounds. I stumbled across this amazing shot of Peyto Lake in Alberta:
Literally a dozen photos later, I saw this shot, by a different photographer:
The contrast between the two startled me. I’m sure that standing in this spot, looking out over the wilderness, is breathtaking. The latter photo above looks amazing. But compared with the former, it seems dull and drab.
Sometimes I feel like my photography– despite years of effort– is like the second photo. I remember being in places and feeling awestruck by them, but my pictures don’t always reflect it. I enjoy doing post-processing work, although I feel like I need to stay true to the actual scene. For example, the first photo here seems over-processed, and I don’t want to take it that far. I guess I just need to find the right balance.
Luckily photography can be a lifelong pursuit, and I still have a lot of life in me. One of these days…