The App Nerds Workshop – Should We Discard Images? – By Lola Mitchell
This weeks’ installment of The App Nerds Workshop by Lola Mitchell centers on those images that we’re not entirely happy with, even though we may have spent many hours working them, should we just discard them, learn from them and move on? Take a look below and see what Lola does in these cases. Over to you Lola (foreword by Joanne Carter).
“These past weeks I have been wondering what I should be writing about. I have not been taking as many photos as usual. I do take care of a 2 and a 4 year old all day every day and my husband has been working past week ends…I guess one could say I was feeling a bit burned out. I still squeezed a self portrait here and there.
I was able to take a few pics of my beautiful neighbor during a play date and the wonderful Sara Tune came over and we took pics of each other. That was nice.
But this week I wanted to show you my discarded photos… the ones I did not like enough to post anywhere. It is a bit shameful and at the same time I think it is healthy to show these….Hopefully I won’t regret this and won’t beg Joanne to remove this article the following day : )
I will start with an old one and in this case I did a different edit and posted it. The reason I discarded this particular edit is that it did not go with the minimalistic image I wanted to create. It was a tough one to discard because I spent sooo much time on it. But I learned so much from it.
Apps used If I remember well is ARTREE, Hipstamatic (pic of my daughter), camera + (pics of Paris) and superimpose.
I learned so much from doing this and now when I look at it, its pretty. I think. But I ended up posting this one instead. same apps used.
Ok so here it is, I did it. But this one was pretty easy because I don’t feel ashamed of it. I think I might have posted this on Instagram at some point and deleted it. I also ended up rediscovering it and posting it on Flickr in February 2013. Which is what ultimately gave me the idea for this post. Why one day I would look at a photo and say…no… and then much later on, look back and say, not so bad after all.
This one below never posted anywhere. It is a photo of the pont des arts in Paris and I just started playing with some apps, added some leaves and that was it. I know I used superimpose, camera + for the bridge and leaves, alt photo….but maybe more.
Why I did not post this one? Because I just thought no one would like it or care. It is a postcard. To me there was no wow factor besides the beauty of this bridge and there are way better photos of it out there.
I find the selection process so hard to start with and yet I usually have no problem deciding. We all take tons of photos and delete even more, then the editing starts and the possibilities are endless. Some days I am just not sure why I would want to post and share a photo. But that is why when I have no time to take actual photos I always look back at my old albums.
The next one I did not post because I had done an edit that was so similar that I just felt it would not be so interesting to view.
Apps used that I remember, alien sky, superimpose (lots of textures from fire photos and lava lamps reflections on the ground…). To me it looked too similar to this one below. And it was not as fun. In fact my son looked a little mad in it.
So what makes us want to share one photo and not another? Honestly I am not sure, mood, what we are focusing on at the time of creation. I try to post and share only what I really love but sometimes I post a photo because it is new to my editing process. I also have posted photos that I wish I had not….maybe another post : )
What makes you decide?
Here are two more from last week. I had an idea in mind and it did not come out as I intended, thats why I don’t really like these two.
apps used: Kitcam, superimpose, repix, colorlake and I think thats it…maybe snapseed
Kitcam, Hipstamatic, tiny planet, repix, procreate, snapseed
So do you often look at old albums and suddenly an image you did not even look at twice becomes the image you want to work on? How many edits do you end up just leaving in your phone never to be looked at again…I have many more… ”
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Lola Mitchell
Lola discovered iPhone photography shortly after getting her first iPhone a year and a half ago. Her love of photography started early, thanks to her father who was a professional photographer – Jorge Damonte. Through him, Lola learnt about other photographers and artists. He taught her the ropes and she dabbled in the darkroom. Lola explains that she always took photographs but never felt the urge to share or do anything further with them, that all changed with the iPhone. Lola’s career, pre-kids was in production of documentary television and once she had kids she kept on taking photos and the iPhone gave her an outlet for more artistic montages.
11 Comments
Robert Lancaster
I do the same! 🙂
If I have an edit come out not as I expected I then keep all the intermediate images and go back and look at it later to see where I need to diverge from the path I was on.
On the other side of the coin, once I have an edit with which I am entirely happy I delete all the intermediate pictures (except the original seed image). This prevents later second guessing of myself.
Great article and fantastic pictures! I like them all.
Lola Mitchell
Interesting. I always keep the steps for an edit I liked. I never look back at these. Also if you are ever asked to do a tutorial it comes in handy : )
Thank you!
Krista
Lola beautiful work and interesting post. I was struck when you said you always keeps the steps for an edit. How? I have so many photos that I’ve edited with multiple apps. How can find or where do you keep all that info?
Janine Graf
I loved this Lola! It’s always interesting to go back over work that didn’t make the cut (upload wise). I don’t usually save a lot of work, I’m often quick to delete, but there have been times I’ve revisited an image many months after casting it aside and thought, “Huh . . . wonder why I didn’t like this?” And then there are THOSE that have been uploaded and revisited many months later with me thinking, “OMG why on earth did I think this was upload worthy?!?! Ack!!!” 😉 Anyways, I really appreciate your bravery in sharing some images you didn’t deem worthy. Of course I looked at them and thought, “Oooh those are pretty!” 😀
Lola Mitchell
Thank you Janine! It is. Yes I do think the worst are the ones I thought were so great at some point….I have sometimes deleted them months later. Even though I try not to….shame : )
Geri
Lola – A really interesting article. I mainly post the edited images that I have an emotional connection with – It’s hard to explain how that connection happens, but I’m sure you’re familiar with it. I can relate to Janine’s comment as well finding post-worthy images in my discard pile and vice versa!
Lola Mitchell
Thank you Geri. I am so happy you enjoyed it. I find it very instinctual what pulls you towards a picture. And I agree with you its hard to explain.
Wayman
Once I post my final image I usually delete all the steps (usually 10-20) to free up space. But if I don’t like something I keep it around for later .. Got a couple right now actually that are trying my patience
Lola Mitchell
I admire your courage, I cannot delete the steps, somehow sometimes I like to look at what the process was on one of my pic. See the evolution too.
Ugh I do not like it when an image gives me trouble. There is one I have about 5 versions of it. I think at that point I am calling it done and am giving up.
Maybe I will revisit in a few months.
Tracy Mitchell Griggs
Beauty in the eye of the beholder. I actually prefer the top image over the one you ended up with 🙂 My challenge with hanging on to stuff is the memory issue of the device! Am buying more storage as soon as I can afford. Next device(s) will have MAX memory for this very reason 🙂
Lola Mitchell
I completely agree and I do agree with you, now I prefer the one that I originally discarded…
The memory is definitely an issue but I try to transfer to my computer every day or so. When I got the iphone 5 I bought the 32 thinking it would be enough and I still have issues…