LensWork - Photography and the Creative Process

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.