Photography is an expensive hobby. Cameras cost money; computers cost money, printers cost money and no one outside of billionaire status can afford ink. That said, the most costly part of photography (at least for landscape photography) is the cost of travel. When equipment failures ruin the results from travel, it's particularly costly.

It is well-known among landscape photographers that Nature is most often stubbornly uncooperative. What does that mean? It's not that Nature is plotting against us, but it might point to the fact that we are trying to impose our will upon the world based on an acquisitive predisposition.

LW1429 - Darkroom Work in My Jammies

In my film days, it was not uncommon for a darkroom session to last 5-10 hours. One of the advantages I love about the digital workflow is that I can be productive with my first cup of coffee while still in my jammies. In both the analog and digital workflows, a most important part of the process is the warm-up period when we transition from everyday mind to our creative mind.

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!

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.

I had a fascinating experience yesterday that I think offers us photographers something to think about. I went to a live performance of the Metropolitan Opera of New York that was streamed to our local movie theater.

In workshop and photo group critique sessions that I've observed over 50 years, almost all the comments offered are about technique, composition, or gear related. Such comments might be useful for beginning students, but a much more helpful kind of comment has to do with the content, the feelings the photograph generates, metaphors that come to mind.

A lens captures a finite amount of detail in a finite image circle on the film plane. Increasing the size of that circle through digital zoom does not increase the amount of detail that was captured; it just makes it bigger. This is known as "empty magnification." Optical zoom from the same position, however, captures smaller detail as the subject gets larger in the field of view.

A universal rule in photography is to get closer to the content. This may not mean getting physically closer. The idea of getting closer means different things for different subjects. For example, getting closer to a distant landscape probably implies using a longer lens. Conversely, getting closer in street photography probably implies using a wider lens.

There are subjects that lead to short projects, and subjects that lead to lengthy projects. Both kinds of projects have their virtues and their drawbacks. The real problem, however, is when as producers we give our audience mixed signals.

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to photograph in the famous Ryoan-ji Temple gardens in Kyoto. It was the fulfillment of a life-long dream to photograph there. Curiously enough, that brought me face to face with a fundamental decision: Do I make a project about the Ryoan-ji gardens or use those images to make a project about Japanese gardens in general?

LW1428 - A Firehose of Images

Too much of a good thing can lead to a numb response. I was reminded of this while I was looking through a sizable book in the presence of the photographer. After the first 50 images, my attention began to wane. After 100 images, I was numb.

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!

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.