The Heart of a Photograph
By Diane Bohlen
A good photo should
evoke emotion, tell a story and engage the viewer.
Evoke Emotion
The most important
thing you should know if you want to take a memorable photo is not perfect exposure, lighting or
composition, nor is it using fancy equipment, but it is the ability to convey
emotion and emotionally move the viewer. The image should convey a mood,
feelings or a memory. Use feelings such as happiness and joy or sadness and
despair .
Make your viewer want
to laugh, cry, rage, yawn or gasp in awe.
Other emotions to capture are longing,
desire, fear and excitement.
Also convey the use of
senses like smell, noise, taste,
feel into your images.
Evoking emotions is
the heart of a photo. It is what brings a snapshot out obscurity and make the
photo shine. For Example you could take the sun setting over the sea or you
could have the same sunset with lovers in front holding hands. Different people
will connect with each photo in different ways. Some will feel romantic and
connect with the second photo and others would connect with the peacefulness
and calm without distractions of the first photo. You can’t guess the mood of
the viewer, which is a good thing because the photo should be your expression
of what you see and feel.
Great photographers
have learned what type of image moves the greatest number of people. These are
the photos that we remember most, like the severely burned, naked nine year old
girl running away from the napalm bombing in Vietnam by Nick Ut or the National
Geographic cover “Afghan Girl” with the green eyes by Steve McCurry.
Taken in 1972 and
winner of Pulitzer Prise. It communicated the horrors of war better than any
words. Kim Phuc was burnt badly on her back and arm she was yelling ‘to hot too
hot.’ Nick took her to hospital and saved her life.
Taken in 1984 in a refugee camp in Pakistan. 13 year old
,Sharbat Gula’s parents were killed when she was six by Soviet bombing in
Afghanistan. Escaped with her Grandmother to Pakistan in winter at night. The
green backdrop compliments her eyes and with the red burka framing her face
makes her eyes pop. She is a Pushtan, a fierce Afghan tribe. Her face shows
fear, defiance, inner strength and innocence. It captivated the hearts of
millions of people and inspired the world to aid the refugee effort in
Afghanistan.
Our pictures will only
create emotions, memories and stories for a smaller circle of people like
family and friends but they will be relived again and again. They don’t have to
be dramatic but it could be that special look or behaviour of your grandchild.
It is much better than him/her looking at the camera with a cheesy smile. If
you manage to capture mood, emotion, a story and use your technical knowledge as
well it will be a memorable and powerful shot.
Tips on how to evoke emotion in your
photos
Your own mood has an impact on the emotional quality of the image. When you feel
angry or calm, happy or sad, excited or miserable it will show in your images.
Different weather and time of day can also change the mood of the shot.
Get up close.
Keep spontaneity and intimacy by using a telephoto lens for people or
else get to know them first. Don’t point the camera in their face without first
talking to them and let them get used to the camera. Then wait until they
return to their activity.
Often an emotion gets
lost in a busy scene so simplify the main subject and focus on faces. Remember
your mood could influence theirs so try to keep as neutral as possible.
Preparation. Research festivals, markets, culture and history before you go there.
Especially get to know the photography culture of the society. Some peoples
believe you take their soul when you take their photo. You should have an idea
of the shots you want before you get to the scene.
Observe. Put the camera down and observe the mood of those around you. You travel
in a bubble with your own mood so you need to be able to register the mood the
scene.
The magic of an instant.
It is the magic that makes photography an
art. Photography goes beyond the camera. It is the experience of the moment,
that is, being present in the moment that you are trying to capture. In other
words, BE WITH IT.
‘Spray and Pray ‘or the ‘Decisive Moment.’ Spray and pray means taking many shots and using the continuous setting and hoping that
you get one good shot. Alternatively take time to capture the moment carefully.
Henri Cartier-Bresson the father of photojournalism is attributed to the phrase
“the Decisive Moment.” “To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in
a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as a precise
organisation of forms which give that event its proper expression.”
Capturing the moment
is important in creating mood and emotion in your images. The decisive moment
means pressing the button when all the elements come together just so, to make
it perfect. It includes light, action, expression, position of the subject,
shapes and composition.
Spray and pray is ok
for moving objects, wildlife and birds.
Tell a story.
Have you ever wondered
what makes the viewer have a longer look at an image? The secret to strong
images is their ability to provide the viewer with a story. The images create
emotion, mood, narrative, ideas and messages. These are all elements of story
telling. Look at newspaper photos to get the idea. If you want to be a good
photographer, you need to be a good storyteller. An image with a story that
evokes emotion will keep the viewer engaged.
There are three types
of stories: Ambiguous, (is an image where the story is unclear).
Personal (is an image
you put on Facebook or a blog)
and Documentary.
Tips for telling a story
Make the focal point prominent, make it big,
bright or colourful.
Set the scene. Put the focal point in context. Show what’s going on around the
subject but be careful not to clutter. Don’t try to put too much of the story
in one shot. To avoid this, use multiple shots to tell the story. It could be
two or three or hundreds of images like in a travel album or photo book. Don’t use too many shots for one scene,
choose the best and delete doubles.
Plot. Show what happens by exploring feelings and emotions.
Conclusion. When using multiple shots to tell a story, be intentional about the last
image. It doesn’t have to be happy ever after ending; it can be one that leaves
the viewer wondering. Try to avoid cliché sunset shots. If it is a travel
story, the last image could be unpacking or the airplane waiting to take you
home. Try to give the viewer a sense of closure.
More tips for telling a story
Visual- Use shape and colour.
Action- sport, hiking, cycling, jumping, motor racing, walking. plane taking
off, train pulling in.
Style- Use macro, panorama or wide angle.
Events-Use weddings, birthdays, festivals, car shows
Location-Use places where people gather like the central square, markets and the
beach. Street photography is a great way to capture emotion and stories. Be
alert and keep your eyes open and a story will simply appear. Although we are encouraged to be prepared
and know where you want to go to get that shot, it is also a good idea to get
lost. Just walk the streets, looking for the unexpected.
Relationships-
Use relationships between people or between subjects.
Have more than one person in your shot interacting with each other. You can
crop out the second person to create intrigue. You can have a relationship
between a person and another element. The secondary element should complement
the main subject, or be connected in some way. It gives the viewer something to
explore.
Landscapes-To evoke emotion through landscapes you can use different light,
different weather
and different times of the day. Fog creates instant mood. If
you feel gloomy go out on a rainy day or shoot through a wet window.
How do we know if our photos are good?
There is divided opinion on whether we should have our photos
critiqued. Some say to keep your own style and don’t be influenced by the
critic or adopt their style. Others say that a critique on technical aspects is
okay as long as it is constructive. However if you want to know if you have
created an image ask the viewer not, “Do you like this photo?” but ask, “What
story do you see in this image?’ or “What do you feel when looking at this
image?’
Anytime you activate your viewer’s brain you’ve gone a long way
towards creating a compelling image.
Many times we fall in
love with a photo and have no idea why. This is evoking emotion – THE HEART OF
A PHOTO, this is your goal, and so have fun and practice, practice, practice.
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