When I view artwork (music, a novel, a painting, a photograph) for the first time, it almost never sticks. That is, I don't find I can remember its details, I don't own it in my mind/memory. That almost always needs repetition. I have no idea if this is something about me, or if it says something about art, or if it says something a bit more universal. With music it's usually necessary to hear it a dozen or so times. With a novel at least twice, sometimes three readings. I find this an interesting observation in the age of Instagram and swipe left.
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HT2598 - Predictability
20.04.2026 | 2 Min.
HT2598 - Predictability
In a chess game, what happens when both players see the inevitability of the outcome? They throw in the towel and quit the game. I feel that way about certain television shows and movies. Once the plot becomes predictable, I lose interest. Doesn't it make sense that this same idea pertains to photography as well? The minute I see a portfolio from, say, Yosemite and the first few images are perfectly predictable, I find my motivation for viewing the rest of the portfolio diminishes.
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LW1502 - Being Immersed in the World of a Photograph
20.04.2026 | 12 Min.
LW1502 - Being Immersed in the World of a Photograph
The photography I tend to love best is when I find myself immersed in the world of the photograph rather than just shown an instant in time. Think of that photograph by Joseph Sudek looking out his rainy kitchen window. That image immerses me in his life, his surroundings, his mood. Think of Jerry Uelsmann's fanciful worlds that are nonetheless believable. Do you remember the Griffin and Sabine series of books by Nick Bantock? I could probably go on ad infinitum, but the purpose of bringing this up is to perhaps give you a new framework to view your own images.
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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.
HT2597 - Duane Michals and the Question
19.04.2026 | 2 Min.
HT2597 - Duane Michals and the Question
One of the reasons I love Duane Michals' work is because it's so different than so much of photography. Most photographers use the medium to make a statement, to show us something, to tell. Duane Michals, on the other hand, uses image and text to ask us questions, to encourage us to ask questions of ourselves, to use wonderment rather than certitude as the basis for so many of his images.
This RSS feed includes only the most recent seven Here's a Thought episodes. All of them — over 2500 and counting! — are available to members of LensWork Online. Try a 30-day membership for only $10 and discover the literally terabytes of content about photography and the creative process.
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HT2596 - Deepening Over Time
18.04.2026 | 2 Min.
HT2596 - Deepening Over Time
Yesterday we announced the LensWork Complete Digital Back Issue Collection and that has us looking back at all the portfolios we've published since LensWork issue #1. It's been an interesting project which has led me to an unexpected observation. Looking at the over 800+ portfolios we've published, I was surprised that each has deepened over time, or perhaps I should say my appreciation of them as deepened as I've matured. I felt strong enough about each one that we decided to publish it, but looking back at them now I find even more. That's what good work does.
This RSS feed includes only the most recent seven Here's a Thought episodes. All of them — over 2500 and counting! — are available to members of LensWork Online. Try a 30-day membership for only $10 and discover the literally terabytes of content about photography and the creative process.
Über LensWork - Photography and the Creative Process
Random Observations on Art, Photography, and the Creative Process. These talks focus on the creative process in fine art photography. LensWork editor Brooks Jensen side-steps techno-talk and artspeak to offer a stimulating mix of ideas, experience, and observations from his 50 years as a fine art photographer, writer, and publisher. Topics include a wide range of subjects from finding subject matter to presenting your work, and building an audience.
Included in this RSS Feed are the LensWork Podcasts — posted weekly, typically 10-20 minutes exploring a topic a bit more deeply — and our almost daily Here's a thought… audios (extracted from the videos.) Here's a thought… are snippets, fragments, morsels, and tidbits from Brooks' fertile (and sometimes swiss-cheesy) brain. Usually just a minute or two. Always about photography and the art life.
Brooks Jensen is the publisher of LensWork, one of the world's most respected and award-winning photography publications, known for its museum-book quality printing and luxurious design. LensWork has subscribers in over 73 countries. He is the author of 13 books on photography and the creative life -- the latest books are The Best of the LensWork Interviews (2016), Photography, Art, and Media (2016), and the four annual volumes of Seeing in SIXES (2016-2019).
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