LensWork - Photography and the Creative Process

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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.