LensWork - Photography and the Creative Process

Brooks Jensen

Random Observations on Art, Photography, and the Creative Process.

  • 2 minutes 43 seconds
    HT2215 - No One Cares About Our Plans

    Here's a thought ...

    HT2215 - No One Cares About Our Plans

    It's a fairly common thing in photography to hear a photographer talk about what they are going to do. They haven't done it yet, but they announce to the world they are about to do it — as though we are supposed to care about their plans. Don't tell people what you are planning to do; tell them what you've actually done, accomplished, finished. That's the only thing that counts in the art world.

    2 April 2025, 4:00 am
  • 2 minutes 43 seconds
    HT2214 - Every Work of Art Has a Title

    Here's a thought ...

    HT2214 - Every Work of Art Has a Title

    I mean that. Every sculpture, every painting, every poem, every novel, every song — they all have titles. So why do we photographers think "Untitled" is a reasonable title? Is our imagination that limited, or are we just lazy?

    1 April 2025, 4:00 am
  • 2 minutes 43 seconds
    HT2213 - The Size of the Print, the Size of the Paper

    Here's a thought ...

    HT2213 - The Size of the Print, the Size of the Paper

    In my first photography class we were taught to leave a quarter inch white space all the way around our images. If we printed on 8x10 paper, the actual area of the image would be seven and a half by nine and a half inches. As my thinking about this has evolved over the years, I now leave space around the image that creates a mat board-like margin on all sides. In practice, this means I print 8x10s on 11x14 paper, 11x14 images on 16x20 paper, etc.

    31 March 2025, 4:00 am
  • 12 minutes 54 seconds
    LW1447 - Limited Editions

    LensWork Podcast

    LW1447 - Limited Editions

    Years ago, after showing my work to a gallery owner, I was thrilled when she said she loved my work and would like to represent me. It was a lifelong dream come true. She then insisted, however, that I limit my editions as a prerequisite to her representation. I passed. Mechanically, there is no limit on how many "copies" you can make. This is especially true in the age of digital printing. No one knows how many you actually make unless you publicize that. A designation like 1/50 does not mean you have made 50 prints. Who benefits from limited editions?

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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.

    31 March 2025, 4:00 am
  • 2 minutes 43 seconds
    HT2212 - Postal Code Titles

    Here's a thought ...

    HT2212 - Postal Code Titles

    One of my favorite photographers is Jay Dusard. A number of years ago we were preparing to publish a portfolio of his in LensWork and I had sent him proof pages to approve. He immediately got back to me and asked me to change the abbreviations I used in his titles, for example AZ as compared to Arizona. He explained "AZ is not a location, it's a postal code." If we're truly interested titling our prints with accuracy, perhaps we should include the ZIP code in our titles?

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    30 March 2025, 4:00 am
  • 2 minutes 43 seconds
    HT2211 - Ready at a Moment's Notice

    Here's a thought ...

    HT2211 - Ready at a Moment's Notice

    It's a fairly common occurrence that an exhibition space develops a crisis when a scheduled artist has to pull out for one reason or another. It leaves the exhibitor / gallery with a hole that needs to be filled quickly. Would you be able to respond if you were to receive an invitation that required an exhibition be provided immediately? Maybe it's a good idea to have an exhibition or two ready for any opportunity that presents itself.

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    29 March 2025, 4:00 am
  • 2 minutes 43 seconds
    HT2210 - How Many Projects at a Time

    Here's a thought ...

    HT2210 - How Many Projects at a Time

    In my earliest days of photography I tended to work on one project at a time. I gave it my total focus and postponed working on others. To avoid that void at the end of a project I started working multiple projects at a time. As new ideas came, I added them to a list which became increasingly lengthy and unmanageable. I've since found the sweet spot by using a tiered strategy for managing multiple projects simultaneously.

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    28 March 2025, 4:00 am
  • 2 minutes 43 seconds
    HT2209 - Framing Is Its Own Artform

    Here's a thought ...

    HT2209 - Framing Is Its Own Artform

    In the late 1990s when we were doing the LensWork Special Edition prints, we offered them with or without frames. It didn't take long before we discontinued the framing options. Now, I never offer my work pre-framed.

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    27 March 2025, 4:00 am
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