Here's a thought…

HT2183 - For a Mere 15,000 Bucks

Subtitle: Why I won't be upgrading my equipment any time soon. And by "soon" I mean forever. Unless I win the lottery. The really big lottery.

HT2186 - Refining the Project

I've learned a valuable photographic lesson by watching people who draw, that is who start with a blank page and a pencil. Their process is always to roughly sketch the basic shapes first, then refine, refine, and refine. That same approach works for developing a photography project, too. Well over ¾ of my creative time is spent refining.

HT2187 - Do We Need Self-destructing Artwork?

I've often thought that the worst thing we can do to stifle our creativity is to amass a large collection of our own work. Once we have a closet full of prints, there arises a natural impulse to rest on our laurels. We think, we've already done it, or we've run out of room to store any more, or all the unsold prints dispirit our motivations, or enough is enough. If we could only make self-destructing work, there would always be a void for use to fill. Remember the corollary to Parkinson's Law: The goods expand to fill the available space. Unless, that is, the space is already filled to the brim.

HT2188 - Repeat the Theme, Not the Image

Multi-image projects can be tricky to produce. How do we create a group that holds together as a group without becoming repetitious? Maybe we can see a clue to this conundrum by studying old Ludwig – Beethoven, that is.

HT2189 - Black Point

It is so easy in digital processing to set a black point. I've seen with regularity digital gurus set a black point for every image as one of their first steps in processing. Does every image need a black point?

HT2190 - Sensor Noise in High Frequency Images

No one likes noise. The techniques and tools for eliminating noise in a digital photograph abound. But no one ever seems to ask whether or not we really need to eliminate it. I recently discovered a situation in which the noise generated at ISO 12800 was invisible and I felt no need to go after it.

HT2191 - No Visible Difference, or Megapixel Agnostic

The other day I saw a YouTube reviewer make a comment that they can't see any difference between 44 megapixels and 60 megapixels .I'm working on a small project that will probably include 15 or so images. Curiously enough, about half of these images were shot with a 16 megapixel camera, the other half using a 20 megapixel camera. I'm making 13x19 in prints. That means the 30 megapixel camera is printing at 300ppi and the 16 megapixel camera is printing at 255ppi. I can see no difference between them whatsoever.

HT2194 - When Losers Aren't Losers

The other day I pulled out a box of prints that I last reviewed probably a dozen years ago. I was disappointed there were so many bad photographs that for some reason I had decided were worth printing and keeping. I then showed this collection to a friend who picked out three "losers" they wanted, thereby demonstrating that beauty really does reside in the eye of the beholder.

HT2195 - Theme Walls

A while back I talked about poster hangers as an easy way to display prints. In particular, poster hangers facilitate a very easy change of prints on display with frequency. This has led me to discover what I'm calling a "theme wall."

HT2196 - Megapixels and Aspect Ratio

Did it ever occur to you that the megapixel rating for your camera is based on its native aspect ratio? A full frame camera with an aspect ratio of 3:2 will discard 12% of those if you print using a 4:3 aspect ratio. A full frame camera with an aspect ratio of 3:2 will discard 33% of the pixels if you print using a square aspect ratio. Essentially, your 44 megapixel camera becomes a 29 megapixel camera if you shoot a square format image. Does it matter? Probably not — but this does help put the megapixel madness in perspective.

HT2197 - Keyword Hierarchies

Thank goodness Lightroom allows for keyword hierarchies. I'm assuming that other software does, too, and if not it's a shame. Here is an overview of how I use hierarchies to make finding that image I'm searching for a lot easier.

HT2201 - Try Something New

The very concept of creativity is entwined with the challenge of problem solving. The question about how to be creative can be thought of differently than inspiration. Creativity, like problem solving) is often a matter of trial and error. That, in turn, can be reduced to trying something new and assessing its consequences. In essence, experimentation is the heart of creativity. I wonder what would happen if . . .

HT2202 - Repetition

One of my favorite Zen sayings is: If the spirit of repetition leaves you, your work will become difficult. Pursuing photography involves a measure of drudgery. It may seem that artmaking should be all fun in the sunshine, but there are undeniable aspects that require discipline and raw commitment and endurance.

HT2203 - Changing Expectations

In my film days, I used Grafmatic sheet film holders with my view camera. I had a maximum capacity of 48 shots before I needed to reload film. My standards then were to hope for one or two good pictures from a weekend's work. My how expectations have changed.

HT2204 - Macro Lens or Extension Tube

There are times when getting closer pushes us into the macro photography range. Over the last 50 years I've owned a number of macro lenses and extension tubes. I know there must be a difference between them, but when I look at my photographs (now that I can't remember how they were made), I can't see any difference between those shot with an expensive macro lens and those made with an inexpensive extension tube

HT2208 - Camera Ergonomics

I loved that camera, but I couldn't wait to sell it and get rid of it. Have you ever had that experience? I loved everything about that camera except one button that I was constantly pressing accidentally that caused frustration and many a missed shot opportunity. I finally got so frustrated that I sold it with prejudice. The lesson I learned is to pay more attention to camera ergonomics than I do to technical specifications.

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.

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.

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.