Photographers have the unique ability to narrate a story with a series of pictures or capture a story with one powerful snapshot.
People have been telling gripping and engaging stories since the beginning of time through different artistic approaches. From what we know, storytelling began with cave drawings, and eventually shifted to oral traditions, in which stories were passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Since then, people have been sharing stories through written words, theatrical plays, musicals, and through visual media – especially photography. A series of photographs or even just a single picture can tell the audience a story. By having the ability to capture notable moments in time, a photographer can convey emotions, messages, and ideas through their displayed artwork.
- Breaking the News via Visual Media
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Over the past centuries, people have been taking photographs to capture all sorts of moments in time, varying from global events and social tensions, to ordinary people and their day-to-day lives. Photographers and camera men have been informing people on crises around the world through visual media. Most notably through pictures accompanying articles found in newspapers, online websites or documentary videos.
Photographers cover a wide array of news stories on poverty in rural and developing countries in order to inform the public of such crises and to make them see and better understand the other parts of the world. They take pictures to inform the public on what is happening in poverty-stricken countries, illustrating the conditions in which people live in. The pictures bear witness not only to hunger and food insecurity, but also to the power of imagery as a tool to provide insight on global events and to raise awareness. There is, however, another side of photography. Many people simply enjoy taking pictures of new places while sightseeing and traveling abroad as mementos. To them, photography can become a hobby.
- Jump Right into Action
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As a photographer, mastering the art of knowing where you need to stand to get a good vantage point for the picture is one of the hardest things to do. This skill comes with years of experience and practice. Photographers who wish to capture powerful photos need to have the self-confidence and the audacity to put themselves at the heart of the action. Although, it is not always just a matter of getting as close as possible. Sometimes the photographer may need to find a different vantage point; they will have to carefully decide which position is best in capturing the moment. Yael Ezerzer, a Concordia graduate photography student, shares tips on how to capture a storytelling image.
Ezerzer also adds that to get a captivating photojournalistic picture, you need to have a visually striking photo and content that tells a story. If the picture isn’t that visually striking or it lacks storytelling content, the audience won’t connect with it as much. People should be able to feel something when they look at your photo. Capturing emotion and action is key.
- Breaking the Ice
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Some photographs, like documentary photos, can occasionally serve as a conversational icebreaker or the focal point of a conversation at social events.
There is also street photography – a somewhat controversial genre of photography, but nonetheless it can be that conversational icebreaker. It focuses on taking pictures of people in public places at key moments. These photographs capture impromptu, dramatic moments and document social situations. Hence, street photographs can be immensely powerful; they capture that moment of reality – of everyday life.
Concordia graduate photography student, Peiyao Xiong, says that, “for me, it’s about capturing day-to-day life moments and parts of the world that maybe people wouldn’t have noticed or didn’t notice before and sharing them with others. Photographs define me who I am as a person; it sometimes shed light on my relationship to the subject.”
She tells us that the beauty and magic behind photography is that photographs have a mysterious way of speaking to people; they initiate conversations and connect people with others. People always seem to find new interpretations and meanings behind the pictures – which is pretty cool.