The best photos tell a story. Beauty is important (and welcome!) but not required.
To me, art is really about emotion and conveying lived experience. I’m choosing photos for the book, and since I have approximately five bajillion to choose from, I’m trying to winnow it down to those that most accurately and, sure, beautifully if possible, tell my story.
Since my book is also a memoir of sorts (what photo book isn’t?), I find myself asking three questions:
- Does the photo represent a moment in my journey? In other words, just like when you’re writing fiction or creative nonfiction, does the photo move the story (my life on the road, in this case) forward, does it convey a moment in time involving both the place and me?
- Is the photo interesting? Is there something about it that makes the viewer take a second look? Pretty is nice, but I’m always aiming (and often failing) at finding the interesting thing about the scene.
- Does the photo generate an emotion or feeling? The best photos - to me, this is my take on it - make your stomach drop a little. When I see a great photo I often say, “oh,” out loud but quiet. As in, I feel that. I get that. I’ve been there. (Even if I’ve never been there.)
Here’s an example with two photos I made recently:
One - pretty! But no story.
Two - not pretty, but it has a story. I don’t mean a big or important story, just that it makes you think for a second.
In this case, why is Sam lying at the top of the stairs, directly in the path of anyone wanting to walk up them? Maybe I’ve gone downstairs, and he doesn’t think I’m leaving without him, but he wants to keep an eye on me just in case. He can rest and not follow me while I move around the house, but he can still monitor his human from the vantage point at the top of the stairs. Ever vigilant.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t make pretty images - I try to make them all the time, and will keep doing so - but when it gets really interesting is when the image conveys a story.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
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I agree! I loved the first picture. The one of Sam in your home does really evoke feeling for me! It is also beautiful!
Nita – I’m so glad that second one evokes an emotion! Truly, that’s the main reason I make photographs, to generate that in the viewer. And thank you for the kind words. 🙂
Love the clematis, wish we could grow it here.
Monika, they are beautiful! And they grow like crazy.
Deonne – Your photo “Ending and Beginnings” brought me to tears – in Feb I lost my younger brother and the photo brought back all the painful and beautiful moments we as a family experienced during his three weeks in ICU – Thank you
Oksana, I’m so sorry about your brother. Such a huge loss for you and your family, but I’m glad to hear you were all able to be together at his ending. Sending you so much love.
I love the images that tell a story. Just for the beauty is lovely to look at, I seem to take photographs with a story. Love the image of Sam at top of stairs. 💖🐕
Jan, you know what I mean about storytelling. It definitely requires more thought and creativity, but for me it’s way more satisfying to tell stories, and it also gives the photographer more chance to express her unique vision. There are many, many photographers making gorgeous images in the National Parks, for example, but I don’t find the generic – even if beautiful – images all that interesting. Half Dome at sunrise, for example. Can anyone do it better than Ansel Adams? Probably not. Storytelling with those vistas is the challenge, and that’s what interests me most. And that allows the photographer to put her unique stamp on it, because every person’s idea of story will be different.
Agree with your thinking. If there’s a story there then just capture the image. The moment. Technicals could have been better—don’t worry. The story is what sells in today’s world of IG and FB’s trillions of images. SAM wins the contest!!!☺️
Kevin – Go Sam! 🙂 Agree about capturing story and emotion over technical perfection. Such a fun challenge.
Thanks for such a great example of a beautiful picture compared to a meaningful picture. Both offer us a sense of awe but in much different ways and while the beautiful picture is momentarily interesting the meaningful picture has much more lasting impact.
Jim, my pleasure! We’re in agreement on the difference. 🙂
YUP! Mine is more for memories than stories for others but then, that probably can turn out to be the same – my memory and someone else can create a story!
Sherry, that’s right!