When you shoot a photograph, you’ll probably share it with the world. But when someone looks at a photograph you’ve taken, they’ll always think of themselves. This is some sage advice dished out in Photographers on Photography, and it specifically references photographer Jason Fulford. Photography is a language that communicates something. However, the way that the photograph is interpreted and comprehended is all up to the person receiving the information. The more vague we make it, the less we’re getting our message across.
Here’s more of what I mean about this: if you’re photographing wildlife and trying to get the message across that the beautiful bird you captured should be saved, you’re not really letting someone know that they’re in danger. Instead, getting people to care about the fact that the bird is in danger and showing the horrific things that they need to go through is key here.
If you’ve shot a portrait of a beautiful woman, are you communicating that you just like to shoot photos of beautiful women just for the views? When you post those images to Reddit, are you pandering to the attention economy? If you’re not, what are you doing to not pander to this attention economy?
Perhaps then, you need to change your message and therefore stand out from the crowd. The message can still be authentically yourself. But what’s the point of creating another clone of all the work that’s out there?
This, again, brings up an important question: are you a photographer or someone instead pretending to be one just for some social media fame?
Here’s more of what I mean. Take a look at the gallery below.
In polite society, we don’t stare at other people eating. But I purposely asked these people to eat for the photos then I put the spotlight on them. I tried to remove as much ambient light as I possibly could to get this look. I also got in close on purpose. The point of these images it for everyone to realize that all these folks are eating, enjoying themselves, and that we don’t need to be impolite about looking at people eating when they’re clearly enjoying themselves. All around the world, people are starving, but we don’t have that problem here in America. Instead, we’re celebrating food in these photos.
That’s felt in these images. I didn’t hear a single person say that it was rude of me to do this because everyone in the photographs clearly consented. I asked everyone for their photos. In turn, people saw the images of what looked like a great event. Why? Because everyone was enjoying themselves in the photos.
It’s up to you as a photographer to ensure that your message is being presented the best way you can. But it is also ultimately up to people to comprehend what you’re trying to get across. Remember, photography is a language.