LensWork - Photography and the Creative Process

LW0478: Refuse to Participate

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:04:11 -0800

Just because the economy is souring that doesn't mean you HAVE to participate. Simply refuse to join the trend. Instead, remember that creativity is the core of our art; use a little of that creativity applied to the project of getting your work out there and you can side-step the current economic trends.

LW0477: Lightroom and the New 100 Prints Project

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 08:55:10 -0800

"What can I do with this?" is a question that sometimes leads me into trouble, but more often opens the door to creative ideas that would otherwise remain unrealized. Here is an example.

LW0476: Jumping In

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 09:55:37 -0800

Some learn by developing a POTENTIALLY useful skill. That is not my way. Instead, I commit to a project where the new skill will be necessary, and that commitment is the motivation to develop the new skill.

LW0475: A New Camera for a New Vision

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 4 Nov 2008 10:29:39 -0800

Pushing myself purposely outside my comfort zone has led me to a new camera. And, I hope, a new way of seeing.

LW0474: A Gallery Full of Bullhorns

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:00:11 -0700

When artwork shouts, "Look at me! Look at me!" it loses its way. I, for one, am tired of being shouted at.

LW0473: Our Second-Rate Work

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:28:24 -0700

No one sets out to make second-best work, but we inevitably will. It's not the eventual ranking of work that is important, but our enthusiasm while producing it that should be our focus.

LW0472: Single Images

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:29:10 -0700

Projects are great, but it's the single image that more often than not is the breeding ground for some future project.

LW0471: Artist's Statements

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:15:12 -0700

When an artist's statement tells me about the photographer's process, the photographer's photographic history, the motivations to make the images, or the struggles endured in making them, I know immediately that the photographer is confused about what the project is about.

LW0470: How Many Is Too Many

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:12:53 -0700

A photography book often has 80-120 images. Does anyone have the attention span to look through that many prints and give them the attention they deserve?

LW0469: Titlelessness

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:58:13 -0700

A title for your project is necessary and important. If you can't think of one, maybe that in itself is telling you something about your creative process..

LW0468: Things I Don't Miss

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:18:20 -0700

There is a great deal that can be accomplished to further our photographic career in the same time it takes to watch a sitcom.

LW0467: 22 Minutes

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:37:35 -0700

There is a great deal that can be accomplished to further our photographic career in the same time it takes to watch a sitcom.

LW0466: A Death That Pains Me Greatly

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:46:23 -0700

I look back so fondly now on the days of my youth - when the equipment I purchased for photography could be expected to last me a lifetime.

LW0465: The Bear - And Who Got Whom

editor@lenswork.com — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:21:15 -0700

After a final day out photographing in the burnt forest, I think I may be done photographing for this project. The test will be back home when I try to put the finishing touches on it.

LW0464: Beyond the Obvious

editor@lenswork.com — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:11:23 -0700

As artists, we eventually have to conclude the work. Without finishing, there is no art. But when is it done, and when are you just stuck?

LW0463: The Rhythm of Creativity

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:56:51 -0700

Fast or slow, the rhythm at which one photographs is not always the same, nor the same as your photo compatriots. Patience and understanding of these rhythms can make for a much better photographic outing.

LW0462: PBWA - A Serendipitous Strategy

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:16:55 -0700

Luck often plays a larger role in our success than we are comfortable admitting. I was reminded of this today, photographing out here in the Okanogan National Forest.

LW0461: The Seduction of Maps

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:05:07 -0700

Give me a map and little bit of free time and I cannot resist the temptation to go see what's there.

LW0459: An Addition to My Pre-departure Checklist

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 9 Sep 2008 13:53:17 -0700

Along with an equipment checklist, perhaps there is some virtue in refreshing our aesthetic mind before departing on a photographic adventure.

LW0458: WKRP in 2008

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 2 Sep 2008 10:22:36 -0700

An old television sitcom from thirty years ago offers an interesting lesson about our photography.

LW0457: Another Missed Opportunity

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:26:01 -0700

The ever-present frustration of equipment compromises struck home again this last weekend. Great light, great subject, but no camera. Drats.

LW0456: Kokoro

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:46:04 -0700

Neither intellect nor emotion is the king of artmaking. Rather it is the place where heart and mind meet - what the Japanese call the KOKORO and the Chinese call the HSIN - that is the center of the artistic process.

LW0455: Just the Right Amount of Ego

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:34:26 -0700

Artists need to be arrogant enough to think their vision is important to the world. Left unchecked, however, such ego can be a detriment to one's artwork. Finding the balance is the key.

LW0454: Jay Dusard on Composition

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:39:58 -0700

We interviewed Jay Dusard for LensWork #78. Here is a short audio clip of his thoughts on the process of composing a photograph - or, to be precise, a different way of thinking about this.

LW0453: Big Talk or Big Walk

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:35:50 -0700

We all know photographers who are all talk and no go. If you've got a great idea for a photography project, then do it. The rest of us are more interested in your ACCOMPLISHMENT than in your INTENTIONS.

LW0452: Maybe Next Year

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:55:18 -0700

When your project (or your team) just sucks, you can always look forward to spring training and hope for a revival against the odds.

LW0451: The Dilemma of the Dictionary Publishers

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 08:41:34 -0700

Should the dictionary tell us the correct use of the language, or the language as it is actually being used? What about galleries? What about photography publications?

LW0450: The Devil and Our Souls

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 6 Aug 2008 09:04:44 -0700

If perfection is our goal but is unachievable in practice, is there no hope for us? Are we artists doomed to produce only flawed artwork? Will the Devil always win?

LW0449: The Devil and the Details

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 5 Aug 2008 08:51:34 -0700

The tiniest flaw can influence an entire work of art. I might go so far as to say that the true work of artmaking is paying attention to and managing the details of the project.

LW0448: Color and the Specific Thing

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:16:00 -0700

I find the black-and-white print says something much more universal than a color one. Where color allows the photographer to say something about a man, the same image in black and white says something about MANKIND.

LW0447: The Ultimate Cliche Photograph

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:47:36 -0700

For those of you who have been searching for the formula that will allow you to create the perfect photograph, I will divulge the secret recipe that guarantees success.

LW0446: Idea and Artifact

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:06:36 -0700

Photography is a blending of idea and artifact. Where does your career -- or any given project you are working on -- fit in the scale that has IDEA at one end and ARTIFACT at the other? How much will your project be diminished if you strip out the idea? If you strip out the artifact?

LW0445: How to Save $29,000

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:14:54 -0700

Your intended results should be the guide to the equipment you need -- a point demonstrated by a comparison of the $30,000 Phase 1 digital back and my Sony DSC-R1.

LW0444: Foaming Handsoap Saved My Life

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:18:23 -0700

Okay, well, it didn't SAVE my life, but it's such a wonderful invention I can't imagine life without it. Along the same lines, here are a few little gadgety things that have become indispensable in my photography.

LW0443: Your Summer Reading List

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:44:50 -0700

Here are three recommendations of books I think every photographer should read -- and re-read. Some of the best thinking about photography and the creative process you will likely find anywhere.

LW0442: Brideshead Revisited, Part 3

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:02:48 -0700

We all know about the "six degrees of separation" - but we should not forget that this same kind of thing occurs in our own career relative to our own past work.

LW0441: Brideshead Revisited, Part 2

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:02:21 -0700

There is a very good reason to consider cross-media production of our photographic artwork -- as this example from Jeremy Irons' involvement in "Brideshead Revisited" demonstrates.

LW0440: Brideshead Revisited, Part 1

editor@lenswork.com — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:38:52 -0700

How long do you spend with a photography book, or at an exhibition? Could it be that our great challenge as photographers is to engage our audience in more profound ways?

LW0439: Another Lesson from Breadmaking

editor@lenswork.com — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:05:03 -0700

There is a limit to how much homemade bread a person can consume. What to do? A question surprisingly useful for photographers.

LW0438: Photography, Breadmaking, and Yeast

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 08:59:57 -0700

Lessons from one area of life often can be unexpectedly applied in another. Here is an example.

LW0437: A Walk Down Memory Lane - with a Lesson Attached

editor@lenswork.com — Mon, 9 Jun 2008 11:54:02 -0700

Photography is a technologically intensive pursuit. And, wherever technology is involved, change is inevitable -- as both the history of photography and our own personal histories tell us.

LW0436: It's a Small World

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 28 May 2008 08:41:30 -0700

One of the central themes in photography is its ability to connect us with one another -- over time, over distance, over differences. How marvelous!

LW0435: Thank you, Cornell Capa

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:56:32 -0700

Each time we read that we've lost another great photographer (this week, Cornell Capa) is a reminder of the "thank you" they have earned -- and the torch they have passed to us.

LW0434: Our Memory Machines

editor@lenswork.com — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:23:04 -0700

The downside of ubiquitous photography is that it may seduce us into postponing experiencing life in the present. Why live life now when we can pull it up from the hard drive when we have more time?

LW0433: We Do What We Do

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:18:26 -0700

Some may see this as the "Age of Contention," -- where we know what we like and that's all that we like. But, such specialization can also lead to deeper connections between artist and audience.

LW0432: Up from the Muck

editor@lenswork.com — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:07:47 -0700

Life is suffering, and it's not our role as artists to deny this. It is, however, our role to rise above it.

LW0431: Garbage In, Nothing Out

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 15 May 2008 09:00:11 -0700

Perhaps one of the very first steps in the creative life is to surround ourselves with an environment that supports it -- especially the mental environment.

LW0430: Responding to Art 3 - Symbols

editor@lenswork.com — Fri, 2 May 2008 08:10:05 -0700

A foreign language is just noise to our untrained ears -- just like photographs that include foreign symbols and conventions are to an untrained eye/mind. Watch out for the "communication" in your photographs that fails to communicate.

LW0429: Responding to Art 2 - Mind and Intellect

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 1 May 2008 08:49:48 -0700

A closer examination of the intellectual response to a photograph.

LW0428: Responding to Art 1 - Chocolate Cake and Photography

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:35:53 -0700

The general public can so easily relate to so many kinds of art -- like chocolate cake, for example, which is appreciated with a universal "yum." On the other hand, photography, unlike baked sweets, is rarely applauded with such enthusiastic zeal. Why?

LW0427: Archival Madness 2

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:00:04 -0700

The real reason for making archival prints has little to do with time, but a great deal to do with our attitude toward our work.

LW0426: Archival Madness 1

editor@lenswork.com — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:09:44 -0700

A perspective on history, 200 years of art and creativity, and the archival properties of our photographs -- with, I should add, a comment on photographic vanity.

LW0425: Folios 5 - Structure and Flexibility of Design

editor@lenswork.com — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:37:39 -0700

The folio paradigm is a creative structure that fosters production and yet allows -- even encourages! -- creative flexibility within that structure. A perfect paradigm for my particular way of working.

LW0424: Folios 4 - Print Size

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:46:49 -0700

Print size, empty magnification, and the experience of viewing a print held in one's hand.

LW0423: Folios 3 - Relationships

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:40:11 -0700

Photography is about relationships - and one of the things I love about folios is the way they create a physical, tactile relationship between the viewer and the print, and even between the photographer and the print.

LW0422: Folios 2 - The Problems of Binding Flat Prints

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:00:12 -0700

Binding individual flat prints is almost impossible. I know, I've tried. Instead of solving the problem of binding single sheets, why not just solve the problem by thinking creatively -- outside the binding, so to speak?

LW0421: Folios 1 - Description

editor@lenswork.com — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:05:44 -0700

This podcast begins a series on "folios" -- collections of prints that are neither a portfolio, nor a book -- a format of presentation ideal for individual, unbound prints. We've recently received a lot of inquiries about this folio idea, and this series discusses the concept and foundations in some detail. This first podcast describes what a folio is, and why a folio presentation makes sense for photographs that are not traditional wall art.

LW0431: Garbage In, Nothing Out

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:34:03 -0700

I was invited to give a talk at an opening of an exhibition of my "Made of Steel" work at The Wilson Center for the Arts at Florida Community College in Jacksonville, Florida. This longer-than-normal podcast is the recording of that talk.

LW0419: A Lesson from Video Editing

editor@lenswork.com — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:13:12 -0700

True, creativity implies creating. But, artmaking -- and this is especially true in photography -- is also a process of reverse engineering. What lessons abound in working backwards!

LW0418: Bill Jay on Photography - Dot Com

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 08:42:40 -0700

Few in photography would disagree with me in saying that Bill Jay is one of the great treasures in all of photography. Did you know he now has a website? An enthusiastic recommendation.

LW0417: Our Morphing World

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:54:49 -0700

Some say we live in "the age of the Internet." Step back for a slightly wider field of view and one could propose that we live in "the age of Media" -- and a changing and morphing world it is.

LW0416: Photography as Mind Meld

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:05:59 -0700

What really fascinates me about photography is its ability to allow me to see the world through other's eyes. What magic!

LW0415: Resisting the Trend Toward Big Prints

editor@lenswork.com — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:49:05 -0700

Print size preferences may be a function of what we're used to. In my case, my relationship with photographs is almost always the small print -- as seen in books, submissions to LensWork, etc. Where does all this buzz about large prints come from?

LW0414: The Big Money

editor@lenswork.com — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:21:03 -0700

When should the really big money come to a fine art photographer? While they are doing their great work (before they are famous) or after they are known? Perhaps a look at other areas of art and life can give us a clue to the sequence of things pecuniary.

LW0413: God's Little Black Book

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:08:46 -0700

Every (photographic) mistake we make will be recorded in God's Little Black Book to be used against us in the Final Judgment Day. I was taught this when I was 6 and I can't seem to let go of the idea . . .

LW0412: Which Ruler Should We Use?

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:01:53 -0800

When judging others work, to what do we compare it? To the best photography in our town? To the best photography in the world? To the best photography in all of history? What is fair?

LW0411: Losing My Head in Japan

editor@lenswork.com — Mon, 7 Jan 2008 11:01:53 -0800

How I lost faith in equipment and found it in myself -- or, True Confessions from a Photographer Who Botched It Big Time. (There, I feel better.)

LW0410: Photographic Pretension

editor@lenswork.com — Fri, 4 Jan 2008 10:13:28 -0800

"Gourmet Gold Medallion Coffee" and the art world, or "How Moichanding Has Infected the Arts."

LW0409: Discretionary Pricing

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 3 Jan 2008 09:45:16 -0800

The relationship (or lack thereof) between art prices and the cash needed to put food on the table.

LW0408: Famous for Being Famous

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 2 Jan 2008 09:55:45 -0800

I may be out on a limb here, but the way I see it, there are two kinds of fame in photography. There is fame that follows the photograph and fame that follows the concept.

LW0407: That's Not What We Do

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:43:56 -0800

When you photograph, do you photograph what you photograph? Or, do you photograph what isn't?

LW0406: Retrospectives and Monographs

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 10:29:37 -0800

There is a difference between a retrospective and a monograph. A review of the highlights may give us a recap, but it is not the work itself.

LW0405: Considering Content, Considering Medium

editor@lenswork.com — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:03:23 -0800

The visible hand of the artist in various media. Photography is, in some regards, more like musical composition than musical performance.

LW0404: The New Teachers

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:16:29 -0800

In the olden days of photography when I was just a wee lad (ahem), we learned from the masters of photography. Now we learn from the masters of software.

LW0403: Retouching Cate Blanchett - and Yosemite

editor@lenswork.com — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:23:33 -0800

Hollywood routinely retouches the photographs of its stars to make them look better than real life. Hmmm . . .

LW0402: Promoting Photography as a Legitimate Art Form

editor@lenswork.com — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:00:41 -0800

To this day, there are still those who think photography is not really an art form. We photographers would do well to remember this and take every opportunity to educate and persuade folks that it is.

LW0401: Photography Festivals and Workshops

editor@lenswork.com — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:34:05 -0800

With 2008 just around the corner, time to think about next year's photo events. Some comments on workshops and "photo festivals."

LW0400: e-Paper, e-Ink, and e-Books

editor@lenswork.com — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:21:49 -0800

Here's a new technology to keep your eye on -- especially considering the pace of technological evolution. It may seem far-fetched today, but so did the Internet a scant 15 years ago.

LW0000: What Happened to the Archives?

editor@lenswork.com — Sat, 1 Dec 2007 14:32:49 -0800

Well, we busted iTunes -- or to be more precise, we now have more content than iTunes can comfortably handle. With over 450 podcasts now available -- and counting! -- the XML file that feeds all that to iTunes was getting too large for iTunes to handle. Some readers were reporting that it was choking on the file size. So, we've decided to remove the older back issues of our podcasts from iTunes.

But, don't worry! All the back issue podcasts are still available on our website. In fact, we've created ZIP file collections so you can more easily download the entire collection without having to download each MP3 file individually. Visit our website for more details and for all the podcasts going all the back to podcast #0001. Have fun!