LensWork - Photography and the Creative Process

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.