Here's a thought…

HT2155 - The Unexpected Image

There are times (probably most of the time) when we are photographing on purpose, intently, with a concentrated zeal of a dedicated photographer. But there are other times when we light years away from photography and nonetheless we see an image. How sad it is when we lose those ideas that bubble up from the void. Perhaps it’s a good idea to have a strategy for those images that are a gift from the Photo Gods — or our subconscious creative mind.

HT2158 - Locked Away on Your Harddrive

How many images do you have in your Lightroom database? Don't we all know there are some really good images there that we are yet to share with anyone? As irrational as it might seem, I can't help but feel sorry for those images locked away on our hard drive that will never have a chance to bring joy or depth or understanding to anyone because we never finish them.

HT2159 - More on the Square Format

For a while, in the 1970s, I owned and used a Mamiya C330 twin lens reflex camera that produced square images. It was my first introduction to the square format in photography. These days, I rarely see square images, I suspect because square-format digital cameras are such a rarity. That's unfortunate because square format images are a very interesting way to frame the world.

HT2160 - The Narrator

A movie, a book, a play might have a narrator. The narrator is not a necessary component, but has a useful purpose in select projects. A narrator stands outside the plot and comments upon the action without being a part of it. I wonder if this technique can be used in a photography project? Has anyone done this in photography before?

HT2161 - Twenty-three Cameras, Indistinguishable Images

Just for fun, the other day I did a quick mental review of all the cameras I've owned and used in my life. After 50 years in photography, I've produced artwork with 23 different cameras. Isn't it curious that I can't see any qualitative difference between all that work produced with all those cameras?

HT2162 - The Joy in Just Doing

The other day at a social gathering, I was asked why I do photography. The preface of the question was that there must be some reward in spending so much time and effort to make photographs, so what did I get out of it?

HT2163 - Provenance Information

The chances of our work becoming collectible and highly sought after are pretty slim, but just in case, we should think about including provenance information with our prints. I include that information on the surface of the print, near the bottom, in a position that doesn't interfere with matting or framing. In chapbooks and folios, it's a good idea to include a colophon page for such information.

HT2166 - Meeting Expectations

What is it that differentiates a good photograph from a lesser one? I'm asking this question seriously. If we can't answer it, how can we expect to make good photographs? When I press this question further, the answer seems to be that a good photograph is one that meets the viewers expectations. In my way of thinking, meeting expectations is the worst thing we can do with our images.

HT2167 - Stop Looking for Shortcuts

For reasons I suspect are deeply held inclinations, it seems that photographers are always looking for shortcuts. The demand for plug-in, one click "treatments" grows with every generation of both software and photographers. We want to arrive without having taken a journey. What if the journey was the point? What if the art life is not a destination, but an ever-unfolding process that we engage because of the challenges and surprises we uncover along the way?

HT2168 - Enlargement Limits

In my film days, I did extensive research about enlargement factors for my film negatives. How much enlargement was possible before the image started to break down, soften, reveal grain, and in general turn yucky? Regardless of film size, the nature of gelatin silver was that the limits of enlargement were universally 4X. What about digital images?

HT2169 - Keylines and Other Edge Treatments

There was a short-lived fad in the days of film when photographers would file out the negative carrier for their 35 mm film so that the edge of the film would be a part of the enlarged image. Sometimes this worked great, other times it looked like a silly gimmick. Here in the digital age, edge treatments are so easily accomplished and offer unlimited creative potential - as long as it doesn't become a gimmick.

HT2173 - Pens, Pencils, and Signing Your Prints

Here's a topic I'll bet 99% of photographers have not thought much about. What instrument do you use to sign your prints? Pen? Pencil? Does it make a difference? Actually, I think it does.

HT2174 - Processing Time

What percentage of processing time is spend exploring aesthetic alternatives versus just getting your vision manifest by processing steps? To me, one of the most fascinating aspects of digital processing is how it opens the door to experimentation. We try things that lead to a dead end, but it's easy to reverse course and try a different direction. Ultimately this expands our aesthetic decisions exponentially which is a great boon to developing creative vision.

HT2175 - The Unknown Image

It's a fairly common experience that when I upload images from my camera after an extensive shoot, I will frequently find images I have no memory whatsoever of having taken. I've learned, over the years, to pay a special attention to these images.

HT2176 - Take a Risk

Far too many photographers bury their creativity under a shroud of acceptance. Instead of making personal work that comes from their heart, they make images that they hope will earn applause and accolades. Artmaking can — perhaps even should — feel a little risky.