I attended my first workshop 40 years ago. I did so because I wanted to learn the specific techniques that were being taught by the instructors. Looking back on that experience, I realize the most important thing I experienced was seen hundreds of wonderful prints by the three instructors. The techniques I learned back then have been replaced during the digital revolution. The way I learned how to see and recognize excellence in a photograph is still one of the most valuable lessons of my creative life.
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HT2536 - You Cannot Fake Sharpness
17.2.2026 | 2 Min.
HT2536 - You Cannot Fake Sharpness
I'm always hesitant to say that we can't do something because there may be a way to do it that I just don't know about. To date, I have no idea how to fake sharpness. I can process an image to fake dynamic range, exposure, contrast, etc. But once an image is captured with soft focus, it's going to look like soft focus forever. At least it will until the software engineers figure out how to resolve this for us.
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HT2535 - Sitting Patiently, Waiting for the Response
16.2.2026 | 2 Min.
HT2535 - Sitting Patiently, Waiting for the Response
One of the most challenging formats I produce is what I call "One-Picture Stories." I pull up an image and then just sit with it until an idea, a response, a question, perhaps some sort of reaction occurs. This might take a few minutes; it might require an hour or more. My job in this exercise is to be quiet, be aware, be receptive, be open. It's a quiet meditation where I try to empty my mind of interference and just let the process unfold on its own.
Here is the Special Edition PDF of "One-Picture Stories" that was discussed in Brooks' Here's a Thought
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LW1493 - Six Photographs That Changed My Life
16.2.2026 | 12 Min.
LW1493 - Six Photographs That Changed My Life
Photography, we hope, is an art medium that can have an impact on our life, add content and meaning to our viewing experience. If a photograph succeeds at the highest level, it's not only memorable, but has the ability to change our life. Not many photographs are that powerful and even fewer are universally that impactful. Here are six images that literally changed my life and why.
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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.
HT2534 - The Criteria For Which Is Best
15.2.2026 | 2 Min.
HT2534 - The Criteria For Which Is Best
You found an interesting subject with interesting light and made a dozen or so captures that you hope will produce a terrific image. When you look at those dozen or so captures in review, how do you determine which one is best? What criteria do you use to determine which is best? This spawns an even more fundamental question: Why should you determine which one is best?
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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).