Artists are often encouraged to push the boundaries. That's my philosophy when it comes to processing individual images. Simply said, I never know if I've gone far enough until I go too far and then come back just a bit. I apply this strategy with every step of processing from sharpening to color balance to contrast and clarity. I never know beforehand when a processing step is going to require pushing to the extremes or restraint to the extremes.
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HT2528 - Made for the Purpose
09-2-2026 | 2 Min.
HT2528 - Made for the Purpose
I know of only two effective strategies that photographers use with consistency. They search for something to photograph or they manufacture something for the purpose of being photographed. I've never done the latter, but we've published quite a number of these portfolios in LensWork and they're always impressive. Find or make. Are there other options I should know about?
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LW1492 - Media Agnostic Content
09-2-2026 | 12 Min.
LW1492 - Media Agnostic Content
We do live in fascinating times in the history of photography. There are so many changes happening simultaneously. One of the biggest changes that is rarely discussed is the increasing separation between content and its medium. In my youth, if there wasn't a print, there wasn't a photograph. The two were inexorably intertwined. Doesn't that seem quaint?
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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.
HT2527 - Master or Accomplished Hobbyist
08-2-2026 | 2 Min.
HT2527 - Master or Accomplished Hobbyist
It's been my experience that most photographers desire success in one form or another. Yes, they want to make good pictures, but for most it goes further than that. For some that means being praised by one's peers. For others, there are loftier goals. Has it ever occurred to you that most of the photographers we now think of as "masters" were accomplished hobbyists in their own time? What makes them MASTERS?
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Show your appreciation for our free weekly Podcast and our free daily Here's a Thought… with a donation Thanks!
HT2526 - Different Signatures
07-2-2026 | 2 Min.
HT2526 - Different Signatures
An astute observer has noticed that I have two different signatures. I have one signature that I use for business, check writing, my non-art life. It is an attestation of identity. I have a different signature that I use to sign my artwork. It is a testament that I'm happy with the artwork as completed. I developed this strategy 40 years ago and still think it's a pretty good idea for a couple of reasons.
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.
Over 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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