Where am I going with this? Im trying to show you--oh student of quality images--the road to produce great images is fraught with danger. Give up on something along the way; youre on your way to making disappointing images.

Lets analyze the road to see what I mean. Example, youre out in the field shooting a landscape. You analyze everythingcomposition, colors, exposure latitude--and finally you realize the dynamic range is well beyond your film and you dont have the tools fix it. You shoot the image anyway hoping for the best. Regardless of the effort leading up to making the imageyou hiked a million miles, up hill, in a blowing blizzard, both waysthe image is still the way it is. Innovation doesnt care how much time effort and emotion was spent. It only is the conduit of the standard you have. It only knows you fell short. Give up on the dynamic range, you settle, the image shows off the compromise with a vengeance. Innovation has no sympathy for those that compromise.

Whats this got to do with originality? Remember, originality simply reflects your standards. You compromise on your standards; your originality shows off the compromise. Is there hope you ask? Originality is like a muscle. Its like teaching kids whats right and whats wrong. You need to keep after it and you cant waiver. You need to exercise that muscle to make it strong. Originality isnt a god given talent. Its part of a highly complex path that needs direction. Never exercise the path? Youll never have control over what you produce. Give up on something along the way, you loose perspective. Never practice innovating and being original; you never exercise your standards or uncompromising behavior. You never test the envelope; you never can reliable control things when youre on the edge.