I guess I should put the explanation up front, lest I get in trouble with the folks who don’t like it when I make them look stuff up. So, in case you aren’t aware. R.O.I. stands for return on investment and it’s a typical, albeit often meaningless (in my opinion), measure of the value of a purchase/project. That said, in this case, I happen to like the expression. Next week’s one-liner will be “when you need 73 words to explain your one-line Wednesday post, please reconsider.”
I heard this recently while attending a seminar. We were discussing a planned effort to make an information system an even more satisfying experience for the people who use it, when a friend said:
“The ROI of perfection is very low.”
I liked the expression the minute I heard it. I’ve often repeated a similar bit of advice to the designers and programmers working for me:
“Perfect is the enemy of good enough.”
But, I think the ROI version is more “professional” and, unfortunately, including a buzz-word often helps get peoples’ attention.
The reason I picked this expression for today, has to do with the photos I tried to take this past weekend. First off, I think the photos I envisioned were better than the ones that were possible. Second, Maddie. I took these while walking Maddie, and I tried the “get closer to your subject” approach, but kneeling seems to mean “I want to play with you” in dog. Third, I’m still trying to figure out the Close-up mode on this camera, which seems to lie somewhere between normal photo and macro.
Unlike my first attempt, I kinda like the photos in the Gallery:
This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. Some day, I’ll have one that is closer to one line
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I think these turned out great,Dan. I am a fan of sparkly so the sun shining on the ice is beautiful. And Maddie…she is gorgeous.
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Thanks Lois. I was happy with these. I’m still trying to figure out how to work with this camera (that I’ve owned for almost two years), but I’m getting closer.
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I really like the brown leaf frozen on the blue crystallized effects of ice – but then again Maddie sure looks like she found something of interest hidden beneath the snow.
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Thanks! Maddie fell in love with the pop-splush effect of smashing her paw through the ice and having water splash out,
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Cute!
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The ice photos were nice, but the Maddie photos were perfect. :-) We spent several ‘long’ hours yesterday inching across your home state of CT. It was like one giant parking lot that periodically moved at 5-25 mph. Wow – never seen such congested roads. I salute your efforts to get to and from work every day.
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Thanks Judy. And, on behalf of my adopted state, I’m sorry for your trouble. This is why I get to work an hour before my starting time. Maddie has turned into quite the photobomb expert. I think she reads these comments.
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I think the pictures are great. And I agree with Maddie: I like the sounds you can make in the snow. (Just in case . . . HI MADDIE!)
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Thanks Pam. Maddie was fascinated by the fact that she could smack the ice and break it open AND that there was water underneath.
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Very nice photos, Dan. If you were a co-worker, I would tell you, “Good enough for government work.” It’s what I tell myself when I try to live in Perfect Land.
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Ha ha – Thanks Mary. I have heard that expression, but I think it’s better coming from a government worker :)
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The leaf photos are very artistic, Dan. Have a wonderful Wednesday. Hugs.
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Thanks Teagan. I keep trying. I’m glad you think it’s working.
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Easily good enough to hang on the wall. :D
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There is no substitute for going out there and experimenting with new equipment. You got some beautiful shots. dscn7984 is exquisite.
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Thanks. I appreciate the feedback. It helps me to better understand what works for others. I am getting comfortable with some of the adjustments (before and after), but I’m trying to do more with the camera and the setting.
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Digital is so wonderful with its immediate results and the ability to just delete experimental mistakes. What a difference from my film days.
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I took very few photos when we had to use film. I can’t imagine the expense.
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It added up very quickly. You also did not have the luxury of bracketing exposures to get the right light. It was almost an art form to get the right exposures.
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My wife is/was very good with film, as is our daughter. The thought process was too much for me. The film speed, the exposure, what lens to mount, flash, no flash, bounce flash and all to get one shot of some things.
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Except when it comes to building aircraft and brakes.
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I was going to suggest that when our President-elect questioned the cost of Air Force One. I would think that would be a spare-no-expense project. My understanding is that when that puppy flies overseas, we fly in our own fuel for the return trip.
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Love the images Dan.
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Thanks Don. That means a lot to me!
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Dan, these are great! If they aren’t perfect, I don’t know what is. I love it that Maddie likes the sound she makes when she crunches through the ice. :)
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Thanks Marian. She was pretty bored up to that point. Now, when I walk her past this stretch of ice, it’s “ooh, ooh, can I go break the ice?”
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I love the light and shadows, colors and textures in the leaf images.
I can’t believe Maddie’s paws don’t get too cold.
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Thanks Deborah, and thanks for the comments on the photos. It really helps me to understand what works. Maddie doesn’t seem to understand cold. Irish Setters don’t have an undercoat, so they don’t get a winter coat. She just isn’t bothered though. Her happiness must be a form of Adrenalin. But, she will come inside and then lay down by the wood stove.
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It got down in the low 30’s earlier this week and when I let Diva Dog out in early hours of the morning to take care of business she came in shivering. It took her 10 minutes to recover, and that was with me putting her sweater on her a blanket, and me holding her!
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By contrast, my wife took Maddie out at 4:00 am today (it was 22) and Maddie climbed up on Mt. Maddie and laid down. My wife had to drag her back in. I guess you have a California girl.
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LOL! Wow, that’s contrast! She is that!
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Great shots… sweet dog! :)
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Thanks, from me and Maddie.
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Can’t imagine trying to cross ice with Maddie in tow (or the other way around) Enjoyed the post.
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Yeah, it didn’t take long to realize how bad that idea was.
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I’ll bet.
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I love these perspectives Dan. The photos are great. You are lucky that Maddie stayed still long enough for you to get them!
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Thanks Val. She can be a pest, but generally, she’s patient with me.
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☺️
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I like the shots, too, Dan, and heartily agree with the sentiments expressed in your article. :-) I have to be careful, though, as I tend towards trying to be a perfectionist.
janet
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Thanks Janet. Striving for perfection is a good thing. It can be dangerous in my line of work, because you can always make a system better, but it doesn’t do anyone any good while it’s still a work in progress.
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In marketing – my pre-retirement career – ROI was a big deal. Now that I’m retired, I’m much more interested in the pictures of leaves and, of course, Maddie.
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Thanks. I’ve worked in IT shops where it was huge. I look forward to a time when I don’t worry about ROI.
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Detail ice leaf is perfection. (Sorry, but it is.) I usta lean harder toward perfect, and now I find I only seek it in despair, which reminds me I was often in despair and so good enough is perfect. And sane.
Maddie is soooo pretty! I can’t walk on ice with Sadie, either, though, so I get it. She, too, likes to lick the water that splashes out when she romps :)
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Maybe Sadie and Maddie understand perfection better than we do. Maybe it’s the water beneath the ice :)
Thanks for the comment. I do like these photos and I am trying to learn how to use this camera, better. Maddie was having a hard time walking in the parking lot. I was looking for the fastest way off the ice.
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Awesome shots Dan. I love the ons with Maddie in them. The color of her coat is such a lovely contrast against the pure white snow!
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Thanks Cheryl. I think she reads these comments. She has gotten more insistent on being in the photo, lately.
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Such a diva! 😁
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I think your photos turned out well, despite the playful Maddie. But you coulda put a spoiler alert in for next week’s One-Liner Wednesday! Sheesh. ;)
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Ha – you know me better that that, Linda. The day I stay under 75 words on a Wednesday…yeah, not gonna happen. Thanks for the comment and for supporting the series.
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It’s dangerous out there. Be careful!
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Thanks. It’s often hard to see the black-ice, even in the light of day. Once you’re standing on it, it gets your attention.
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Dan, great photos! I like the leaf freeze/ thaw color detail! Well, any photo with Maddie in it is a favorite too! Happy New Year! 🎆 Christine
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Thanks Christine. I think Maddie is reading these comments about her. She’s taken to stepping into my photos more and more often :)
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I have never seen icy photos of leaves like this and the one maddie let u get without the photobomb was a too one. I also like the “across the ice” – but really enjoyed this brisk photographer’s walk….
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Thanks. Maddie is pretty patient with me, but I think she likes it when people say she’s pretty.
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;) wonderful breed and her fir looks so soft –
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Great post and great images.
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Thinks!
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Leaves with frost or shimmery ice are beautiful, as is the lovely Maddie. :) She would keep me amused and entertained, as well as the grandies!
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Hmmm, “entertained,” yes, that’s one way of putting it. Although we also use frustrated and a few other words. She’s a sweet girl, but she can be a handful at times. She is pretty patient with me as I try to get photos while we walk. I’m glad you like these.
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