LensWork - Photography and the Creative Process

Here's a Thought… #2750 with Brooks Jensen The Toys with the Least Interference Yesterday, I suggested that any camera could be used to create art. If that's true, then how do we select which gear to buy or use? My answer to this thorny question is based on ergonomics and our state of mind. The ideal gear is that which is most comfortable and most invisible as we handle it. Reserve our limited brain power for content, not knob control. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2749 with Brooks Jensen With What You Already Own None of us own the ideal equipment for our artmaking desires. The trick is not letting that suspend our pursuits. The first time I ever clicked a shutter was when I was 10 years old on vacation to visit my grandmother. I used my parents' Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. If that was still the camera I was using today, I'll bet I could still make art. My art would be different, but I'd adapt to what I could do rather than give up because of what I couldn't do. Creativity is the art of the possible. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2748 with Brooks Jensen Photography and Beauty Writing itself is not a visually aesthetic activity until we decide to make the letters beautiful with calligraphy. Can we say that photography is not an aesthetic activity until we make the image beautiful with — with what? Composition? Tones and colors? Beautiful subjects? What is it that turns a replicative medium like photography into an artistic and aesthetic pursuit? Do we create beauty or merely capture it? Do we recognize beauty or manufacture it? Are we conduits for beauty or wizards who conjure it into existence? Is beauty even the goal? Or, is it truth, expression, moment, connection? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2747 with Brooks Jensen The Complexity of the Medium Photography is a technology that includes many media. I grew up in the age of gelatin silver. Today I use inkjet printers. Is my earlier work "better" or more valuable because the medium was so much more demanding and recalcitrant? I've known photographers who engaged "alternative processes" because they thought it would make their work special, more valuable, more collectible. Yet another example of equating difficulty and worthiness. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2746 with Brooks Jensen Right On, Write On, Right On One of the great gifts we can receive from an artist is PERMISSION. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the late Duane Michals. By his example, he gave us all permission to write on our photographs. He understood — boy, did he understand!— that Art is about Ideas not just visuals. By marrying the photograph to the hand-written word he opened wide a door for all of us. The question remains, however, do we have the courage to follow his example? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2745 with Brooks Jensen Denied Access I'm convinced that the most valuable aspect in the creation of a good photograph is access. If we are denied access, we can't get to where we need to be to click the shutter. Since that's an undeniable reality, wouldn't it make sense that we need to develop the skill of securing permission? I learned this lesson in the 1980s when I was working on the Made of Steel project. I used one simple principle to gain access to the garages and machine shops where I photographed. My technique only failed me once. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Episode #1522 from our long-running, weekly podcast On Photography and the Creative Process Spray and Pray and AI If you want to insult a photographer, accuse them of "spray and pray." It's a not so subtle way of saying they are relying on luck rather than talent. There are, however, two instances where I think spray and pray not only makes sense but is a pretty intelligent strategy: capturing a fleeting expression in a portrait, and using a long exposure time in a handheld composition. Besides, when your photograph succeeds, will anyone care how you arrived at that success? All previous episodes of our weekly podcast are available to members of LensWork Online. 30-day Trial Memberships are only $10. Instant access, terabytes of content, inspiration and ideas that expand daily with new content. Sign up for instant access! You might also be interested in. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, a series at www.brooksjensenarts.com. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in photography and the creative life, you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of LensWork Online.

Here's a Thought… #2744 with Brooks Jensen Long-Forgotten Books Perhaps it's understandable that as a publisher I have a fond relationship with books. I weep over the fate of books (and the photographers who made them) when I see a great book subside into the obscurity of history. Newly minted books emerge from the bindery with such hopes and momentum. Then decades pass and that once-great book, like us I suppose, recedes into the dark corners of our book shelves or the dusty confines of the used bookstore. Or the local landfill or recycling center. I like to think that books are a first step toward immortality. In practice, I know better. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2743 with Brooks Jensen The Assumption of Effort When we see any accomplished artistic expression — regardless of the medium — we naturally assume that such excellence is the result of substantial effort and talent. Just think of the effort required to compose a symphony, write a novel, or carve a statue. With photography however, we are advised "f/8 and be there." Press a button and make a masterpiece. Art is hard; photography is a snap. We photographers know this isn't true. Worse, that perception is even more prevalent now than ever. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2742 with Brooks Jensen Dappled Light One of my favorite things to photograph is the dappled light that sneaks through the trees to create those soft shadows that dance so seductively. I've photographed those shadows my whole life. I've recently learned there is a Japanese aesthetic that celebrates that light and shadow. It's called Komorebi. Ko meaning tree or more specifically leaves of trees, more meaning leaking or leaking through, and bi meaning sun or light. More importantly, the term is associated with a state of mind, a mood, a moment of being, a transience that implies this moment. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2741 with Brooks Jensen Looking for Photographs One of the great mistakes of my youth was the assumption that going out with my camera was, at its essence, looking for photographs. That almost never works. Well, at least it almost never results in a photograph that's worth a damn. I can only speak for myself, but I've learned over the decades that the truly artistic life is the pursuit of experiences and responses that can then be interpreted through an art-making medium. Said another way, photographs don't come from cameras; they come from paying attention and experiencing Life. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2740 with Brooks Jensen Photographic Stupidity I suppose we've all made stupendously ridiculous mistakes in our creative lives. Please tell me I'm not the only one. Please. We are told that confession is good for the soul. In the hopes you can learn from my mistakes, here are a few of my greatest hits bonehead mistakes. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2739 with Brooks Jensen Your Basic Lens My first camera was a 35mm SLR. I was advised to use a 50mm lens because that would most closely match normal human vision. It took me 10 years to unlearn that bad advice. Or, maybe I should say that it took me 10 years to find my natural vision. Once we discover our natural vision, choosing our basic lens becomes so much easier. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2738 with Brooks Jensen Your Minimal Kit What is the least amount of gear you can get by with? This is an important question if you are traveling, have limited space, are concerned about weight, or want to simplify your choices in the field. What can you get by with? Two cameras plus three lenses? One camera plus one lens? Your iPhone? How do you make such decisions? Affordability? Complexity? The subject and locations? Looking back at past successes? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

LW1521 - Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained I'm proud of the fact that so many photographers tell me that appearing in LensWork is on their bucket list. I'm equally disheartened when so many photographers tell me they are intimidated to submit work because they are afraid of being rejected. I want to tell them quite frankly, "Toughen up, bucko. Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Here are eight reasonswhy you should submit work to us and others. www.lensworkonline.com/resourcelibrary/twim/twim.php All previous episodes of our weekly podcast are available to members of LensWork Online. 30-day Trial Memberships are only $10. Instant access, terabytes of content, inspiration and ideas that expand daily with new content. Sign up for instant access! You might also be interested in. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, a series at www.brooksjensenarts.com. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in photography and the creative life, you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of LensWork Online.

Here's a Thought… #2737 with Brooks Jensen The Crack of Dawn All my photographic life I've heard landscape photographers preach the virtues of the early risers. Supposedly, the best photographs are made as the sun rises at the crack of dawn. Some even go so far as to insist that only bad photographs can be made in the noonday light. Hogwash! I'm of the school of thought that there is no such thing as "good light" or "bad light." Good or bad is not a characteristic of the light, but rather what you do with that light that really counts. So, go ahead and sleep in if you need it. Great photographs can still be found whenever you are ready. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2736 with Brooks Jensen Score and Performance, Again Ansel Adams famously suggested that the negative was the score and the print the performance. Is this still true for the RAW file and the Instagram image? What is the relationship between the RAW capture and the print? And where does the finished digital file fit in this simile? I think this is all tied to the idea of an original print. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2735 with Brooks Jensen Losing Faith in Photographic Truth With increasing frequency, I find myself looking at a photograph and immediately questioning its veracity. For example, every morning when I start up my computer I'm greeted with a lovely landscape thanks to the programmers at Microsoft. Almost without exception, they look fake, with punched up colors, unrealistic sky and water reflections, and a kind of computer generated pristineness that I find difficult to believe. These images are, however, very pretty. Should I care that they are not truthful? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2734 with Brooks Jensen Actions of the Creative Process There is a lot of buzz about "Creativity" in artistic pursuits. Books are prevalent; YouTube videos are offered by the terabyte; even here in LensWorkland find you'll find a lot of references to Creativity. Well and good, but what is Creativity? If we were to observe a person in the actions of Creativity, what would that look like? There is the part of Creativity that happens in our brain that is invisible, but there is also a part we can see, observe, and emulate. Creativity is often as simple as, What If? and rejection. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2733 with Brooks Jensen A Box With One of Ones I recently ran across a box of prints from 1989 I'd almost forgotten about. That is to say, I remembered the project but had forgotten the images. Looking through the images, I fell in love with them all over again. What do I do with these 1/1 Polaroids? I've kept these secured and protected now for 37 years — and perfectly invisible to all but a handful of close friends. Have they fulfilled their purpose? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2732 with Brooks Jensen Time to Get Off the Stage I'm a baby boomer. My generation invented rock and roll music. I'm vicariously proud of that. I must admit, however, that it is time that some of my favorites need to get of the stage and enjoy their retirement. The fires of creativity still burn, but the remaining embers are a dim glow, and an off-key one at that. I wonder if we photographers need to take an honest look at ourselves, too? There is a time to retire our cameras, but will we recognize it when it's our turn? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2731 with Brooks Jensen Universal Stories Photographs, by their very nature, are specific. They capture a view of a specific place at a specific time. Stories, good stories anyway, have a sense of the universal about them. This is why vacation snapshots of landscapes often don't have much appeal; they are too specific, too personal. What brings a story (or a landscape) to life is when we can identify with the characters and can imagine ourself in their shoes, when we see ourself in the story. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

LW1520 - The Big, Big Problem of Repetition I've been doing multiple image projects now for 45 years and reviewing submissions to LensWork for 34 years. One of the things I've learned is that nothing kills a multi-image project as fast as repetition. The instant a viewer thinks, "I've seen this one before," their interest starts to wane. Even if they haven't seen it before, but think they have, the damage is done. All previous episodes of our weekly podcast are available to members of LensWork Online. 30-day Trial Memberships are only $10. Instant access, terabytes of content, inspiration and ideas that expand daily with new content. Sign up for instant access! You might also be interested in. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, a series at www.brooksjensenarts.com. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in photography and the creative life, you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of LensWork Online.

Here's a Thought… #2730 with Brooks Jensen Bombs and Bosoms There exists a trend in current photography that I struggle with. That trend is the exaggeration of reality to create an image that could never happen as depicted. Life is amazing enough. Why do we feel compelled to make our photographs more real than reality? I think of this as the "Hollywood Effect," aka Bombs and Bosoms. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2729 with Brooks Jensen A Library of Skies How do you feel about the Sky Replacement tool in Photoshop? Is it a cheat, or a solution? Or, maybe I should rephrase that: When is it a cheat and when an acceptable tool? For my work, I've decided it is a tool I'm willing to use if it is only a matter of timing. If the replacement sky could be possible if only I was there photographing on a different day or time, I won't hesitate to use it. Does this open a Pandora's Box of fakery? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2728 with Brooks Jensen The Last Time In her final weeks, a theme that Maureen revisited time and time again was the idea that we never know when will be the last time we ever do something. The last time you will make homemade spaghetti; the last time you will see a friend; the last time you will photograph a sunset scene. She was right, of course, and I think this inspires me to appreciate each moment I have to create art or enjoy what someone else has created. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2727 with Brooks Jensen Unknown RAW Files A fairly common experience I have when I return from an extensive and productive trip are captures of which I have no memory. That might be explainable here in the volumetric digital age. However, I had the same experience in my film days. Where do these mysterious images come from? What should I do with them? I really hope this is a creativity conundrum and not a medical condition! Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2726 with Brooks Jensen Food, Clothing, Shelter, and Artwork? Does anyone need artwork to survive? I suspect not. On the other hand, I struggle to imagine a life without art. Why is artwork so important? An even greater mystery is why making artwork is so important. If photography was for some unknown reason suddenly denied to me, I'd take up pen and ink drawing, or haiku writing, or composing really awful classical symphonies. Or buy a kazoo. Something, anything. I wonder why? What is so valuable about having art in our life? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2725 with Brooks Jensen One by One, We Are Losing Our Masters We just lost another of our great photographic teachers/masters. Jay Maisel passed away on August 20??. Carl Chiarena, Jay Dusard, Ray Carofano and Jon Fishback are LensWork alumni to add to 7 list of recent losses. With each passing, we mourn their loss, celebrate their life, and treasure their artwork. I was recently asked what I most treasure from my time as the publisher of LensWork. Easy answer: the people, the conversations, the laughs, the stories, the fellow travelers who have filled my life with their vibrance and spirit. We miss them all. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2724 with Brooks Jensen Audience Indifference A painful truth is that no one cares about my artwork. Don't feel smug; no one cares about your work either. Such thoughts could be thoroughly depressing. On the other hand, believing in universal audience indifference has the power to infuse each compliment, sale, exhibition, Internet visitor, invitation, or publication with a magical feeling filled with genuine gratitude. I can only speak for myself, but I know I'd rather feel gratitude than bitterness. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

LW1519 - Those Who Touch Us Deeply If we are lucky, our art life is filled with people with whom we connect deeply through their artwork. For example, I love Caravaggio, but not that crazy about Botticelli. Why? Why do we connect with some work more deeply than others? Seriously, why? What is it about these artists that touches us so deeply? Even if we don't find answers, asking such questions and spending time with their artwork is a joy that adds something precious to our experiences. I explored this in my series, Those Who Inspire Me and Why that is available at LensWork Online. www.lensworkonline.com/resourcelibrary/twim/twim.php All previous episodes of our weekly podcast are available to members of LensWork Online. 30-day Trial Memberships are only $10. Instant access, terabytes of content, inspiration and ideas that expand daily with new content. Sign up for instant access! You might also be interested in. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, a series at www.brooksjensenarts.com. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in photography and the creative life, you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of LensWork Online.

Here's a Thought… #2723 with Brooks Jensen Books and Digital Publications The first half of the20th century was the era of original prints. It appears that the first half of the 21st century is the era of the Internet. My photographic maturity came in the last half of the 20th century. One of the consequences of that serendipity is that my appreciation of photography is largely based on books. Perhaps this is why I am a proponent of multiple-image projects that rely on layout-intensive publication rather than the single-image showcase of framed prints on the wall or Instagram. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2722 with Brooks Jensen The Density of the Detail Assume an image has a definable amount of detail we'll call X. Take that detail and make a small print and the density of detail will be much greater than in a large print. This can be both advantageous and disadvantageous depending on the viewers interpretation. In essence, what I'm suggesting is that the size of print you choose to make may be influenced as much by the density of detail as it is by the available wall space. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2721 with Brooks Jensen The Future of Photography He said, "It's a fantastic camera. It does everything for me." I responded, "Too bad it doesn't automatically post your images to Instagram." Excitedly, he replied, "That's coming!" I tried as best I could not to appear suicidal. I wonder if there is any way we could make photography way more difficult, on purpose? Outlaw prints smaller than 42"? Revert back to film? Invoke a pixel tax? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2720 with Brooks Jensen Purposely Off Awhile back, I made a landscape image in which I desaturated the naturally bright blue sky to an emotionally dark steel blue/gray. No sky ever looked that way in real life. I loved it in spite of the obvious fact that it wasn't true to human vision. Curiously enough, because it was so clearly an aesthetic choice, people seemed to be willing to accept it as an artistic expression. I guess the lesson is, if you are going to alter reality, do it enough so that it's evident you've done it on purpose. Viewers may not like it, but at least they won't think it is an incompetent mistake. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2719 with Brooks Jensen Blade Runner and Puccini's Butterfly Do you ever go back and revise a previously finished image or project? I don't. Maybe I should. Sometimes, great artists do. For example, there are five different versions of Blade Runner, one of my favorite movies. Puccini made several substantial revisions of his opera, Madame Butterfly. Ansel Adams made a dozen or so different versions of Monolith, Face of Halfdome. If such great artists believe they can improve their previous work, why would we think we can't? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2718 with Brooks Jensen Accessory Fever I cringe when I think about all the money I've spent on accessories that sounded like a great solution, then used only a time or two. Or, maybe never. I have a closet full of them. Why is it that the solution to better pictures always seems to rely on some new piece of gear? I suppose it's just easier to blame stuff (or the lack of stuff) than it is to look inward and frankly see our own limitations. What a relief it is to blame our failures on anything but ourselves! Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2717 with Brooks Jensen Too Many Notes, Words, Images I've often said that this is the best time in the history of photography to be a photographer. There is one sense in which this is clearly not true: audience attention spans. The instantaneous mindset of making photographs is leaking into the way we look at photographs — instantaneously. Social media are training all of us to think a glimpse is sufficient. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

LW1518 - The Hard Work of Being an Artist The minute we pick up a camera and decide we want to make pictures more meaningful than snapshots, we unknowingly embrace the art life. The first challenge is entirely technical and, at least these days, fairly easily mastered. Well, if not mastered, at least doable with reasonable competence. That's when the hard work of being an artist begins. All previous episodes of our weekly podcast are available to members of LensWork Online. 30-day Trial Memberships are only $10. Instant access, terabytes of content, inspiration and ideas that expand daily with new content. Sign up for instant access! You might also be interested in. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, a series at www.brooksjensenarts.com. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in photography and the creative life, you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of LensWork Online.

Here's a Thought… #2716 with Brooks Jensen Fun Is a Medicine I assume that all of you listening to these commentaries take your photography pretty seriously. You want your photographs to be meaningful, lovely, treasured, valuable. We approach our image making with a serious mindset. Must we? What about fun? Silly? Playful? Not all of our work needs to be momentous. Make something small, fun, light-hearted that you can give away just because it makes everyone smile. Strangely enough, doing so can make your serious work more meaningful. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2715 with Brooks Jensen The Power of Titles Titles have such power to steer the viewer in directions we intend. I've often used the example of Dorothea Lange's famous image, Migrant Mother. What if that image was instead titled, Waiting for the Return of the Soldier, for example? What if Weston's Pepper #30 was titled, The Last Pepper, or perhaps, Tina? Words change perceptions, sometimes with a nudge, sometimes with a sledgehammer. A title, even if it is only one word, can make all the difference in how the viewer sees your image. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2714 with Brooks Jensen To Know a Photographer There are so many photographers I think I know because one of their images has become important to me. I'm a fool to think so. People are complicated; photographers are at least as complicated as people. (Ahem.) I've come to believe that in order to know a photographer even a little we need to study at least a couple dozen images or more. Better if this covers at least a decade or so of their creature career. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2713 with Brooks Jensen An Excuse to Explore the World I'm pretty convinced that I don't need to add any more images to my Lightroom assets. I have enough RAW files in my catalogue to keep myself artistically busy and productive for the rest of my life. I just need to mine deeper into what I already have. That will not, however, prevent me from heading out and capturing more. That's because the core of artmaking is exploring life, exploring the world, exploring our responses to experience. Making the art is secondary; curiosity and inquiry are the primary values in the Art Life. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2712 with Brooks Jensen Why the Sharpest Lenses I've always thought that spending money on the best lenses made more sense than expensive cameras. A blurry picture can always be made with a tack-sharp lens, but a tack-sharp image cannot be made with a fuzzy lens. By the way, how do you know if your lens is sharp? Which apertures? Which focal lengths? You do know, don't you, that manufacturing under the tightest control will still make a lemon now and again? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2711 with Brooks Jensen One Kind of Photography You know that old business about what books you would want with you on a desert island? Just for fun, if you could only make one kind of photograph for the rest of your life, what would you choose? Landscapes? Portraits? Still life? Wildlife? I think I'd choose abstracts. I could make abstracts anywhere, anytime, with any subjects, with any camera, in any light, at any size, for any purpose. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2710 with Brooks Jensen Your Best Is Often the Least Important An over-emphasized component of fine art photography is the assumption that "making stone-cold winners" is the heart of the pursuit. I would propose that super-winners are not the goal but can, occasionally, be the result. We make art for the process, not the accolades. There is a cultural pressure to be and produce "the best of the best of the best." (stolen from Men in Black) Far too often our very best work relies on a generous helping of luck. Take all the lucky ones you can get, but don't confuse luck with artistic accomplishment. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2709 with Brooks Jensen The Return to Film I think I understand why some photographers are returning to film and analog photography. There is a sense of accomplishment in the production of a wonderful gelatin silver print that is absent (or at least diminished) with an inkjet print or an Instagram post. What is missing from this debate is the source of the thrill. Does the thrill of accomplishment come from the successful command of the medium or from the depth of connection with the content? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

LW1517 - Why Make Art I don't want to sound morbid or fatalistic, but we are all headed for the ink maintenance tank at some point in the future. A good friend of mine recently survived a health crisis that almost ended his life. Whether or not we want to acknowledge it, we hang by a thread. I know that in the cosmic scale of things photography is not that important, but perhaps ART is. A recent quote from a television show: Science tells us how and where we live; History tells us when; Art and Literature tell us why. The purpose of life is not to make art, but the purpose of Art is to enhance our life. Good to remember that every moment we have is precious. All previous episodes of our weekly podcast are available to members of LensWork Online. 30-day Trial Memberships are only $10. Instant access, terabytes of content, inspiration and ideas that expand daily with new content. Sign up for instant access! You might also be interested in. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, a series at www.brooksjensenarts.com. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in photography and the creative life, you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of LensWork Online.

Here's a Thought… #2708 with Brooks Jensen Better Than I Remembered With some frequency now, I find that as I look back at my older unprinted archives, I'll stumble upon an image with new appreciation. How did I miss this one? Is it that my processing tools are now so much better? Is it that I'm older and more artistically mature? Is it that the passage of time has made it easier to distance myself from the experiential memories of the moment? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2707 with Brooks Jensen Blind Spots and Habits Now that I've been photographing for decades, there are some subjects and trends that have become more identifiable with a larger data pool to pull from. Evidently, I find walls irresistible. Chairs must be one of my favorite subjects if the count of how many photos of them I have is any indication. Trees and rocks rate high on the list. I have no interest in architecture, but you'd never know it by looking at how many photos I have of buildings. Sunsets, wildlife, urban streets, and sports events are almost completely missing from my archives. I'm wondering if a list of what I've never photographed could lead to something interesting? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Here's a Thought… #2706 with Brooks Jensen The Creative Life Is a Daily Habit Every waking moment is an opportunity to make a photograph — but we don't. Moments don't rise to the level of photographic importance until we sense them. Photography happens at the intersection of a particular moment and our sensitivity to perceive it. I'll pause for a minute for you to think about that. If true, doesn't it seem obvious that the limitation of creativity is our sensitivity, not the availability of moments? If so, the challenge of being an artist is all about developing our sensitivity to every moment, not the never-ending search for the special moment. Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.