good photos that are not perfect

mikep · March 2013

when im browsing photos i often find myself drawn to those that have slight imperfections (perhaps i should get a lomo).

we often try hard to get it "right", pay $$$ to get that sharpness and low distortion, with reduced lens flare etc, we try to get the perfect exposure and so on. i understand that perfection has its place, but for this thread, show your photos that are great because of a slight "imperfection". sometimes a bit of blur, or flare can add the magic to a picture.

not sure if i have any myself, i will look.

anyone got any good examples ?

**edit** i found an example. the light was low, so it was handheld at 1/20th. when i got home and looked on the pc, i was upset that the picture had a slight blur to it. but i now think that it actually improves the image, with a little low-fi style.

Elvishefer · March 2013

I know what you mean. For me, the trick is knowing when a 'lomo' effect is worthy of 'art' status... or just a bad photo.

Ade · March 2013

I was covering this Amy Winehouse tribute concert. Focus wasn't quite right, there's some motion blur, weird reflections on her forehead from the stage lights. Still it is one my favorite pictures from the evening. Taken with a 50mm f/1.4.

Of course a magazine chose to publish one of my least favorite pictures from the concert, and on top of that they messed it up when compositing their logo to it.

-Ade

CitizenD · March 2013

Nice topic, I would have a lot of material for that one

'imperfection' is usually what makes things alive !

this one was shot at night, during a maritime festival, in Douarnenez, Brittany.
2 musicians were playing for the public on a narrow dock in the middle of the city's old harbour.
people were dancing along with them, and so did I.
I was actually out of battery, but took the chance and manage to take this one in the very few seconds of that had reappeared.
Should have I had some more power, I would probably have not gotten hurried, not made a poor setup, and not moved during the shot, but here is the result I finally got :

| D5100 | 35mm | 1/8s | f/1.8 | ISO640 |

Yet, I cannot help but love this one ... !

D

mikep · March 2013

well, yes thats the thing im getting at. i guess its an arty thing

this is one from the weekend. it was quite dark, so i was just on 50th/sec, i could have upped the iso and SS, and probably frozen it better, but it all happened too fast. at first when i chimped it, i thought "dang, i messed up", but actually i think the blur adds something. it was one of the keepers, and i gave it to the "client".

bland · March 2013

Great topic, mikep!

Rx4Photo · March 2013

Shot from the hip more or less.

tcole1983 · March 2013

I think this is a case where it is what you see. Some want just perfect sharp images and that is it. I think lots of times I have shots that have a little something else that adds to the photo even though it isn't technically a great shot.

mikep · March 2013

i have just been looking through this person's flikr, they are using film, not digital. though many are exposed weird, or framed weird ...... i cant put my finger ont it, but i love the feeling of their pictures. maybe its just the film and the colors. i wish my nikon could make colors like this

TaoTeJared · March 2013

You should look at all the Pulitzer Prize winners. I got to see the traveling show of images (36x48"ish) 2 years ago and was amazed by them all, but the two things that came to mind was that 1. How far image quality has come, and 2. how few were "perfect" by any since of the term. All of them evoked more emotion than most could handle at the show. Many left with tears in their eyes.

Pulitzer Prize winners

proudgeek · March 2013

This one's imperfect partly due to technique and partly due to stupidity. I was shooting a bike race and trying my hand at panning with limited success. Somehow I mistakenly messed with the EV and this was shot 1 1/3 of a stop over (corrected in post), which resulted in a shutter speed of 1/25s. While very little in the image is even remotely sharp, I've always been drawn to the way this captures the moment as riders sprint toward the finish line.

Msmoto · March 2013

@proudgeek

Absolutely Right On...and many years ago I did this very thing...not very fast but the excitement of a close bike race, crossing the line at 35 mph while in a pack....or bumping hips at 30mph as one comes around the last corner to the line....very well seen above.

mikep · March 2013

@taote .... i went to look at some pullizer photos; yes there are some fascinating ones (some a little too 'real' for me)

i have been looking on flikr a lot this week. just found this guy, another film camera. normally it would really annoy me that it isnt shot level, but here its ok, and the colors i think are so nice