Lenswork - Photography And The Creative Process

HT2232 - Fifty Pounds of Gear In my first photographic trip to Japan, rather than take suitcases, I packed everything I needed into my backpack for maximum mobility and foot travel. In those days my comfort limit for my backpack weight was about 70 pounds. With this in mind I packed a maximum of 20-pounds of clothing plus the pack itself, leaving me 50-pounds for gear and film. In my upcoming trip to the West Coast, I'll have a much more capable gear kit that weigh less than three pounds. Show your appreciation for our free weekly Podcast and our free daily Here's a Thought… with a donation Thanks!

HT2231 - Choose Your Challenge I've often found it useful to divide photography into a set of competing challenges. How do you want to play with photography? Do you want to challenge yourself with the technical complications of making giant prints? That's valid. Or do you want to challenge yourself with the expressive complications of making more meaningful artwork? That's valid, too. And then of course, there are all the variations that combine both of these challenges. Show your appreciation for our free weekly Podcast and our free daily Here's a Thought… with a donation Thanks!

HT2230 - PPI Required for Printing How many pixels per inch are required for printing? Be careful; this is a trick question. In fact, as I've asked the question it is unanswerable without additional information or blind assumptions. What's the missing/assumed data? What is the viewing distance likely to be? Show your appreciation for our free weekly Podcast and our free daily Here's a Thought… with a donation Thanks!

HT2229 - Software Updates, Image Updates Here's a question that's both philosophical and practical. When there is a software update that could dramatically improve an image you've already finished, do you go back and update the image because the software allows you to improve it in ways that were previously impossible? Or, do you leave it as is because you are busy doing new work rather than living in the past?

HT2228 - Too much Fretting Over Gear I can't even begin to count how many photographic trips I've made in my 50 years of photography. One thing I do know is that before every trip I spend hours thinking about what gear to bring, particularly what lens — or lenses — to bring. Interestingly enough, I'm yet to return from a trip without successful photographs. That has me suspicious that I would find any random combination of gear and lenses satisfactory. Different pictures? Yes. But stymied? Probably not.

HT2227 - The Balance of Input and Output I can't help but feel that the path of an artist is one that balances input and output. If all we do is watch television, read, be entertained, it's difficult to be an artist. If all we do is work, produce, construct, it's equally difficult to be an artist. The key to the art life is finding the middle way, a balance input and output, where we take in, feel, think, and then produce with our response to the world.

LW1449 - The Goal of the Process As someone looks at one of your images, Is that the end of a process of the beginning of one? Is viewing your image the end of their engagement with it? Or do we hope viewing our image is the beginning of a small mental journey that engages their imagination, poses a few questions, or moves them to a further experience? 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! 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.

HT2226 - The Least Camera Needed Ted Orland opened my eyes about gear. He advocated that we should choose a camera that's fit for the job but the least capable camera we can. His idea was based on the observation that the more capable the camera, the more complex, and the more complex it is the more it intrudes into the connection between us and the subject. Show your appreciation for our free weekly Podcast and our free daily Here's a Thought… with a donation Thanks!