Where is the line of acceptability? When man-made objects obstruct a natural setting.
We've all been there. We get to our destination, grab our camera, and start shooting. We get home to start looking through our pictures to select the good ones to edit, only to find that man-made objects in the picture ruin the look and feel that we desire. So, where do we draw the line of acceptable man-made objects in our photography?
Honestly, I think this is based on each individual and the expectations they set for themselves. If you are new to photography, it may be best to focus more on getting the right camera settings to get the perfect exposure. After you get comfortable with your camera and can change settings on the fly and your pictures are in focus, then maybe increase your expectations a little. Keep this in mind though, the background can make or break an image.
A while back I was at a local spot photographing scissortail flycatchers. My main objective was to capture them in flight, and believe me, my patience was tested. While trying to get the perfect shot I captured the image below of a scissortail flycatcher sitting on a cable. I knew that I wasn't going to use the picture, but it was a good opportunity to capture a shot to use for this post, which I had been planning for a while.
I was recently in Colorado and drove up to Mt. Evans to try to photograph the mountain goats. When you're above 14,000 feet, you hope for good light and good weather, and you get what shots are available. With a storm moving in, we got a few shots and then started heading down the long narrow road to get to lower elevation. After getting home, I look through some of my shots only to notice that some of the pictures show a mountain goat with rocks cemented together. The rocks didn't cement themselves together, so this becomes a man-made object. So, where is that line? Is it usable? Or is it junk?
Here is where your own expectations come into play. In my opinion, these pictures are junk. Keep in mind, this is the expectation that I set for myself. I don't like any man-made objects of any type in my pictures, not even a fence post or a barbed wire fence with a bird resting on it. I like to keep my images in a 100% natural setting, just as if people were never there to begin with. Humans have been everywhere and we seem to leave evidence of our presence everywhere we go. Sometimes, it's as simple as cropping a picture a little to remove that object that you feel ruins it.
With a little time and patience, the images that you desire are obtainable. The scissortail flycatcher in flight that I was looking to get, I got. The mountain goats on top of the world in a natural setting, it can happen. Be patient and keep shooting.
What are your thoughts? Where is your line of acceptability? Are your expectations of yourself realistic?
