LensWork - Photography and the Creative Process
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IMG LW1395 - The Pace of Creativity I've noticed that I've developed a really bad habit in my photography. Sometimes, with some locations, I get so excited about all that I am seeing that I work too fast, too frenetically, too voluminously. I end up firing away rather than taking a moment to feel what is before me. Curiously enough, I've learned the solution to this problem is the tripod. ALL PREVIOUS EPISODES of our weekly podcast are available to members of . 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! https://checkout.subscriptiongenius.com/lenswork.com/1782/?redirect=1 * YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, https://www.brooksjensenarts.com/epic/epic.htmla series at www.brooksjensenarts.com. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of
IMG HT1854 - THE TERRIBLE, AWFUL, HORRIBLE NON-PROBLEM OF DIFFRACTION With some regularity, we are advised by the wise leaders in photography to avoid using the smallest apertures because of the introduction of that focus softening known as diffraction. My advice is to ignore their advice. Not that diffraction doesn't exist; it does. It's just not as serious an issue as the pundits insist that it is. * ALL 1850+ EPISODES OF ARE AVAILABLE IN THEIR ENTIRETY TO MEMBERS OF , OUR EXTENSIVE RESOURCE LIBRARY OF OUR 30-YEAR PUBLISHING HISTORY. LEARN MORE /lwo.htm ABOUT .
IMG HT1853 - The Disappearing Megapixels Congratulations on your new 42 megapixel (or 60 megapixel) camera. You can now make giant prints. Good for you. But what happens to those megapixels if you don't make giant prints? What happens if you make a 13x19", or even a 17x22" print? All those captured and processed pixels get tossed out as superfluous data that is simply not needed. ALL PREVIOUS EPISODES of our weekly podcast are available to members of . 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! https://checkout.subscriptiongenius.com/lenswork.com/1782/?redirect=1 * YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, https://www.brooksjensenarts.com/epic/epic.htmla series at www.brooksjensenarts.com that looks at failures as a way to learn. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of
IMG HT1852 - PPI FOR PRINTING Experts who seem to know a lot more than I do recommend one of three resolutions for high detail printing. Most commonly I've seen 360 PPI recommended, but also 300 PPI, and 240 PPI. Not knowing which to use, I decided to evaluate using the good old-fashioned method of doing it myself and analyzing with my eyes. Here's what I found.
IMG HT1851 - LONG SHUTTER WORK AROUND These days, I'm using a tripod less and less. One area that has plagued me is long exposure photography, for example, lacy waterfalls. I've accidentally discovered an interesting workaround that produced surprisingly good results.
IMG HT1850 - THE MYTH OF UNIVERSAL VISION The premise with which we make our photographs is that there is a view that is best. We sweat bullets over the perfect tones, color balance, contrast ratios, etc. We do so under the assumption that when we get it right everybody will see what we see. But this is folly, because the truth is everyone sees differently.
IMG HT1849 - MASSIVE PROJECTS It seems that every photographer I know has at least one massive project, maybe more, that resists completion. Maybe it's the fact that it is so massive, so overwhelming, so unmanageable that makes it so difficult. Is there a strategy that helps manage these massive projects?
IMG HT1848 - CAMERA TO EYE, OR EYE TO CAMERA There is a reason why an overwhelming majority of pictures are made from 5 to 6 ft off the ground. Strangely enough, it doesn't have anything to do with that being the best way to view the world. It has to do with camera design which encourages us to lift the camera to our eye level.
IMG LW1394 - Your Intent Is Paramount The other day, I heard once again, for the billionth time, a photographer say that however a viewer wanted to interpret their work was okay with them. Why are photographers so reluctant to make a declarative statement that is unambiguous? If you leave it up to the viewer to interpret your photograph however they want, why bother to compose or process an image? If you have no intent, why make choices? ALL PREVIOUS EPISODES of our weekly podcast are available to members of . 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! https://checkout.subscriptiongenius.com/lenswork.com/1782/?redirect=1 * YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, https://www.brooksjensenarts.com/epic/epic.htmla series at www.brooksjensenarts.com. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of
IMG HT1847 - TRANSLATION In human communication, the role of the translator is a fascinating one. Do they merely convert words from one language to another? Or, do they accept the higher responsibility of conveying the meaning and subtleties in their translation. This is exactly the same question we photographers face with every picture. Do we translate the appearance, or the depth of feeling? * ALL 1800+ EPISODES OF ARE AVAILABLE IN THEIR ENTIRETY TO MEMBERS OF , OUR EXTENSIVE RESOURCE LIBRARY OF OUR 30-YEAR PUBLISHING HISTORY. LEARN MORE /lwo.htm ABOUT .
IMG HT1846 - Details and the Inverse Square Law Probably most of you are aware of the Inverse Square Law relative to lighting and maybe relative to audio recording. I like to apply it to the optical quality of my images, too. Move twice as far away and the objects shrink to 1/4th the size. Conversely, zoom in to double the focal length and the objects become 4 times larger and exhibit 4 times more detail. ALL PREVIOUS EPISODES of our weekly podcast are available to members of . 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! https://checkout.subscriptiongenius.com/lenswork.com/1782/?redirect=1 * YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, https://www.brooksjensenarts.com/epic/epic.htmla series at www.brooksjensenarts.com that looks at failures as a way to learn. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of
IMG HT1845 - OLD TRAINING VS THE WORLD TODAY A lot of what I learned in my view camera days is still relevant and useful. Some of those early lessons I find are now habits and ways of thinking that are now obstacles based on training that is downright illogical. ISO is a good example.
IMG HT1844 - SPINAL TAP MEETS PHOTOGRAPHY If you hang around photography long enough, you'll begin to discern the patterns that sweep over the photographic world like waves in a tsunami. I automatically resist such fads and eventually come to detest them. Please, photographic world, stop oversaturating your colors with the vibrance control.
IMG HT1843 - OUR CREATIVE LIFE AS A SERIES OF COMPLETIONS With each new album they released, The Beatles defined their evolving career. Painters are said to have "periods" that define their evolving vision. I'm not sure if this is a model we photographers should follow, or if it's just something that happens as our creative vision matures. I do know that completion is a key element of the artistic life.
IMG HT1842 - ANOTHER WAY TO INCREASE SHARPNESS Is there a lesson about sharpness we can learn from comic strip artists? Perhaps. They hand draw their comic strips much larger than we see in the newspaper. The image is then reduced to fit the size we see in print. That size reduction increases visual sharpness. There is a bit of a parallel with photography.
IMG HT1841 - IDENTIFY THE BARRIERS There are things we want to do, and there are things that prevent us from doing it. A good first step is to identify the barriers. Write them down. Make them concrete. Then explore the possibilities of your work if that barrier were completely eliminated. Not resolved, not a solution developed, but simply eliminate the barrier entirely. What's left?
IMG LW1393 - On Destinations In an overly simplistic way, I tend to divide the arena of fine art photography into two camps. For some photographers, the destination/location is the thing they pursue to make the best photographs. For others (myself included), the pursuit of ideas/response/connection is the thing that drives our efforts. It can be useful to consider this train of thought not only for our own photography, but in helping to understand the motivations and work of other photographers ALL PREVIOUS EPISODES of our weekly podcast are available to members of . 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! https://checkout.subscriptiongenius.com/lenswork.com/1782/?redirect=1 * YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, https://www.brooksjensenarts.com/epic/epic.htmla series at www.brooksjensenarts.com. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of
IMG HT1840 - TEXTURED PAPER One of the reasons I like folios, chapbooks, and other handheld photographic media is because of the tactile sense of texture that can come through with certain papers. But tactile texture is not the only texture: we can also have visual texture, which is often the only texture that can be realized in a framed print on the wall. * ALL 1800+ EPISODES OF ARE AVAILABLE IN THEIR ENTIRETY TO MEMBERS OF , OUR EXTENSIVE RESOURCE LIBRARY OF OUR 30-YEAR PUBLISHING HISTORY. LEARN MORE /lwo.htm ABOUT .
IMG HT1839 - Your Cloud Inventory Photoshop's relatively new Sky Replacement tool is a fantastic addition for fine art photographers. It also motivates us to collect an inventory of cloud images that we can use with other pictures. Another great example of gathering assets! ALL PREVIOUS EPISODES of our weekly podcast are available to members of . 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! https://checkout.subscriptiongenius.com/lenswork.com/1782/?redirect=1 * YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, https://www.brooksjensenarts.com/epic/epic.htmla series at www.brooksjensenarts.com that looks at failures as a way to learn. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of
IMG HT1838 - MORE ON NATURAL VISION Does your natural vision lens create your best photographs? Or do the best photographs come about when you use a lens that is not your natural vision, but one that you need to work a little harder with because it doesn't come easily?
IMG HT1837 - THE BEST LENS I EVER OWNED A few weeks ago I was shopping for a specialty purpose lens, and that has had me thinking about lenses I have used in my career. What are the characteristics of a lens that make it attractive? Is it sharpness? Aperture? Edge to edge fidelity? Close focusing distance? I think not. I think the best lens is the one that most closely matches with your natural vision.
IMG HT1836 - NEEDLESSLY BRACKETING MY EXPOSURES Earlier models of digital cameras I owned missed a critically important feature - - they did not have Zebra stripes that indicated overexposure. Because that feature was missing, I always shot a three-image bracket to be sure I would end up with a useable file that has highlight detail.
IMG HT1835 - 400 IS NOT ENOUGH? My current camera has a comparatively low CIPA rating for its battery life. It will allow me only 400 shots compared to twice that in many in some full-frame cameras. Only 400? How much capacity do I actually need? Which makes me remember my view camera days and the joy of sheet film holders.
IMG HT1834 - TWO FOCUS FEATURES I WANT I suspect there aren't many camera manufacturers who regularly listen to these commentaries, but if there are here are two features I would love to see added to my camera, both of which should be fairly easy to implement.
IMG HT1833 - THE BOUNDARY DEFINED Most pictures need an edge. Where the image meets the background, a point of delineation needs to exist in order to define what is image and what is background. A good example is an overexposed sky against the white background of the paper. * ALL 1800+ EPISODES OF ARE AVAILABLE IN THEIR ENTIRETY TO MEMBERS OF , OUR EXTENSIVE RESOURCE LIBRARY OF OUR 30-YEAR PUBLISHING HISTORY. LEARN MORE /lwo.htm ABOUT .
IMG LW1392 - What Came Before I suspect it more than a few of you who have, from time to time, been tempted to try a marriage between photography and . It's a fun idea, but I rarely find it convincing. Usually, it feels like competing media that are fighting each other rather than complimenting one another. There is, however, and idea that might be useful known in Japan as a . ALL PREVIOUS EPISODES of our weekly podcast are available to members of . 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! https://checkout.subscriptiongenius.com/lenswork.com/1782/?redirect=1 * YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, https://www.brooksjensenarts.com/epic/epic.htmla series at www.brooksjensenarts.com. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of
IMG HT1832 - Mastering the Medium I've never heard of photographer Gustave Le Gray, but I saw one of his mammoth plate prints at The Clark yesterday. What an unexpected response that left me impressed for all the wrong reasons. ALL PREVIOUS EPISODES of our weekly podcast are available to members of . 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! https://checkout.subscriptiongenius.com/lenswork.com/1782/?redirect=1 * YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN. . . Every Picture Is a Compromise, https://www.brooksjensenarts.com/epic/epic.htmla series at www.brooksjensenarts.com that looks at failures as a way to learn. and... "How to" tutorials and camera reviews are everywhere on YouTube, but if you're interested in you need to know about the incredible resources you can access as a member of
IMG HT1830 - PROGRAM MODE From my earliest days in photography, the assumption was that anything automatic would be inferior to the trained and sophisticated decisions of a skilled photographer. Manually implemented controls would result in better pictures than any automatic decisions the camera would make on its own. Is this still true?
IMG HT1829 - THE PICTURE IS NOT THE THING The purpose of poetry is not to show off our clever use of vocabulary. It is to connect us with the dance of life. Similarly, the purpose of a photograph is not to show what the surface of world looks like, but rather to reveal the invisible. The print is not the goal; the goal is the response the view has when looking at the print.
IMG HT1828 - WHY BLACK AND WHITE? There's a fascinating philosophical question about black and white photography that pops up from time to time. If color photography had been invented first, would there have been a need to invent black and white photography at all? Set another way, what does black and white photography provide that is denied in color photography? What is your default - - color or b/w?
