I recently saw Greg Lato’s post where he describes some images that he has had sitting around for a couple of years contemplating what to do with them. Dan Sroka also wrote about this recently. I can relate to this completely. Quite often we capture images because something instinctively tells us to take the shot. Later on, upon reviewing them at home, our conscious inner judge takes over and we are left scratching our head on why we made that image.
Quite often it take awhile to stew certain shots, or when you perhaps learn a new technique to process them, or see something that makes you go – “Ah HA!” Well, similar to Greg, I have had some beach detail shots sitting around for awhile from my trip to Dominica back in Feb 2006. I processed some of them, and I had a bunch sitting around for ‘another day.’ Well, Greg’s post and awesome collection on sand pattern shots gave me the visual cue that these types of shots look very nice with a light sepia toning to them. I previously processed some with a rich, deep, darker tone – but there were some images where it didn’t seem to stick.
So a year and half later, I went back and processed a few of them in light sepia, and I like the look! I think it brings a certain elegant texture to the images. I don’t know why I didn’t do it before – but when you are processing hundreds of shots from a trip, time gets away from you. You are judging with a different part of your brain than the part active at the time of capture. Sometimes it takes some fermentation and perhaps some new inspiration to take another look at what you might have been seeing in the first place.
Mark I was going to say chili, but wine works as well, great post I agree completely with what you are saying.
Greg – I view it as similar to a fine wine. 😉
(I fixed the name thing – sorry about that.)
Wow, I never thought of it as fermenting…but I like that.
Ever since my great hard drive crash of 2004 (lost A LOT of photos), I have invested in a network storage system which allows me to just keep everything. This is valuable, because lately I seem to have a hard time getting back to my photos to finish them up (still working through my Italy pictures from last year).
So, I tend not to throw much away anymore…disk is cheap, it’s time and lost images that are expensive.
On the topic of “fermenting”, there is a quote from Henry Wessel which I think adds another dimension to this discussion. Additionally, Ted Orland has a great book called “The View from The Studio Door” which also touches on the concept of revisiting work. I did some write ups about both over at the FocalPower blog.
(PS: My name and pseudonym seem to cause some problems and interesting combinations…the backgrounds story might help clear things up.)
Wren – I’d pretty much ditto what Daniel said. I will certainly edit immediately after a trip or shooting session, but if there are any images I am ‘on the fence’ about – I will usually just let them sit for awhile.
This is one of the great advantages of using image management software (I prefer Lightroom). This can easily keep track of those images that need to ferment a bit so you can quickly find them again sometime in the future.
Mark, I certainly know what you mean. I’ve come up with ideas on shots that I’d taken 2 years prior. I rarely delete, unless it is a totally out of focus shot, or one where I accidentally pressed the shutter.
I will, however, from time to time, mark some for delete then go back much later and perhaps actually delete them.
I guess that it depends on the individual. I will rarely ‘judge’ right after a shoot. They have to sit for a while before I consider them for deletion.
Wren, I’d say that I always have a feeling which photos will work someday, and which won’t. Sometimes I’ll avoid all editing, and just put the entire shoot on the backburner to stew for a few weeks/months/years. But other times I’ll rip through the shoot, toss out the losers, but will then be stuck not knowing what to do with the keepers.
I totally relate. Two months ago I thought I was completely caught up. Now I’ve got quite a few paintings sitting around needing finished.
John Seerey-Lester that taught me has 500 paintings in his garage. Thomas Kinkade works on 70 at a time.
There is one painter that will call his clients and ask for a painting back if he figures out a better way to craft it. Bob something …. Kuhn, I think and has been really successful.
Sometimes I just have to put one aside my mind just gets jammed. A lot of the time it is because I don’t plan well to start with.
As an artist I’m constantly going through my photos throwing the weaker ones away. My friend says I’m crazy but I know how my hangups usually come and do my best to avoid them.
Anyways, beautiful photo and way to stick with it.
Is this an argument for saving the shots you’d normally discard? Or do you have an instinct, even at the time, that this particular photo is a keeper, regardless?