Sharper is not always better

Canada Goose, Lake Junaluska, NC - 2011

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

I just finished reading a biography of photographer Dorthea Lange. Lange is famous for her documentary photography, especially during the Great Depression era. The book's author brought out the point that Lange was less concerned with the technical aspects of camera and darkroom, and more focused on her subjects and the telling of a story with her photos. As I began to look more closely at her work, I began to notice that many would be considered "soft" by today's standards. Not soft focus, but not tack sharp like most of us have been taught to pursue. In some cases it might have been the limitations of the lenses available at that time (1930s), and in other cases I could tell that she hadn't focused exactly where she should have, or at least where I would have. Perhaps her darkroom work wasn't as exacting as Ansel Adams (who sometimes made prints for her). Still, the lack of technical excellence detracts not a bit from the photos. They remain compelling and memorable works.

This photo of a Canada goose is one I probably would have deleted before reading Lange's biography. I made it with my little Canon digicam while killing some time at Lake Junaluska. I was in the deep shade of an overhanging tree, with a nervous and constantly moving goose as a subject. As a result, the photo wasn't really sharp. However, there was something I liked about the photo anyway, so I decided to work with it. I converted it to B&W with just a little bit of a warming tone. Maybe it wouldn't make the cut at National Geographic or Audubon, but I like it!