Have you ever been seduced by an advertisement that seemed to promise a really great deal for a particular product only to realize that it was not such a great deal once you read the fine print? I ask because many of my students’ compositions remind me of these types of “great deals” that soon wither under careful scrutiny.

Beyond the obvious—split horizons, large and glaring contrasts and tonal shifts, excessive distance from the subject—these are the errors made at an even deeper level, a level that may be invisible to all but the most discerning eye, honed by countless image-making and/or image-editing experiences.

A discerning eye should be every photographer’s goal. A discerning eye catches the smallest of details—details that would otherwise have a negative effect on the overall composition. A discerning eye also picks up places where just a minor shift may lead to a major and positive change in the photograph’s overall appeal. If there is a barometer of photographic maturity, reaching the level of “weeding out the fine print” would be it. Fine print is often hidden—that is why it’s called fine print. But it is there—those small and subtle shifts in contrast, color, and tone that the discerning eye refuses to tolerate. Repeat after me: “I am an artist. And just like a painter, I always have the option of starting with a blank canvas. I also can decide what I place on my canvas, where I place it, and in how many layers!”

Most of us would have no trouble spotting white flour spilled on a dark apron, the contrast clear enough for even the least discerning eye to notice. The trick is spotting the white flour spilled on a white or cream-colored apron. Honing your eye to see such “fine print” is an advanced step toward making your compositions more mature.