LENSBABY

As photographers, we spend a great deal of time pursuing sharpness, detail, and clarity. Those qualities are important, and I still value them. My first Lensbaby, however, invited me, begged me, to think differently. Instead of asking how to make every part of an image sharp, I began asking different questions. What do I see beyond the subject itself? What do I want the viewer to see and feel? How can I make this scene my own?

By choosing where clarity begins and ends, I found another way to guide attention, simplify a composition, and create photographs that suggest an idea, evoke a mood, or stir an emotion rather than simply document a subject.

This page is a collection of that ongoing journey. Here you’ll find photographs, ideas, and, over time, insights gathered along the way as I explore the world through creative lenses.

STAYING  CURIOUS

Curiosity has become the constant. Each time I head out with a Lensbaby, I’m reminded that there is always something new to discover. Sometimes it’s a technique. Sometimes it’s a unique composition. Sometimes it’s simply noticing a subject I might have walked past before.

I don’t set out to create a particular “Lensbaby look.” Instead, I enjoy exploring how different lenses and optics, creative accessories, light, and subjects come together to shape an image. Some photographs are calm and subtle. Others can lean a bit more toward abstraction. Each reflects a unique moment of experimentation and discovery, and no two images are ever quite the same.

Yellow flowers photographed with Lensbaby Velvet 56.
Wooded trail in late afternoon photographed with a Lensbaby Sweet 35 optic.
Tulips photographed with a Lensbaby Double Glass II optic and in-camera multiple exposure.
Yellow flowers photographed with Lensbaby Sweet 35 optic and macro filter.
Pink tulip photographed with a Lensbaby Velvet 56 lens and Omni wands.
Washington Monument photographed with a Lensbaby Edge 35 optic.
Yellow flowers photographed with Lensbaby Sweet 35 optic and macro filter.
Close-up of the center of a rose photographed with a Lensbaby Velvet 56
Coneflower photographed with a Lensbaby Soft Focus II optic.
Two small mushrooms photographed with a Lensbaby Edge 35 optic and macro filter.
Kusasdasi, Turkey photographed with a Lensbaby Edge 35 optic
Bumble bee in flight over purple flower.
Mushroom photographed with a Lensbaby Double Glass II optic and macro filter.
Close up of a dahlia photographed with a Lensbaby Velvet 56.
Independence Ave in Washington, DC photographed with a Lensbaby Edge 35 optic.
Yellow flowers with a blue background photographed with a Lensbaby Velvet 56.

BEYOND THE CAPTURE

Sometimes the creative process doesn’t end with the images found on the memory card. I also like to explore what happens when individual Lensbaby photographs become elements of something new, using layering, composition, and post-processing to extend the possibilities of the original images.

Composite image of tulips using images photographed with a Lensbaby Double Glass II optic and macro filter.
Composite image of tulips using images photographed with a Lensbaby Double Glass II optic and macro filter.

MY LENSBABY GEAR

Lenses

Lensbaby Original

Lensbaby 2.0

Velvet 56

Optic Swap

Composer Pro II

Sweet 35

Edge 35

Soft Focus II

Double Glass II

Creative Accessories

Omni Adapter for Composer Pro II

Omni Universal Expansion Pack with Reflections

Omni Rainbow Universal Expansion Pack

Macro Filter Kit (+1, +2, +4)

Macro Converters (8mm, 16mm)

Lensbaby continues to challenge the way I see and photograph the world. As I create new images and discover new techniques, I’ll continue updating this page with photographs and reflections from that journey.