Storytelling Can Enhance the Impact of your Photos

You may believe that creating interesting photographs of nature depends on how the general photo project is defined, or your photographic identity, or your personal mastery of a camera.

I think that these elements are necessary, but insufficient. Interesting photographs that leave an impact on the viewer always have a beautiful story that supports and enhances the image.

We refer to this as “storytelling”.

This article will help you understand how to implement a new tool in your photography toolbox. By implementing it, you will make your photos even more interesting and instill in them true meaning.

This photograph of a 2-day old gelada required a week-long trip to the Simien Highlands in Ethiopia.

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The Definition of a Story

For this article about artistic photography, I will use a specific definition of the word “story”.

A story allows one individual to share personal events that were experienced while creating the photograph or series. It is an anecdote to entertain your audience.

This is not the whole definition though. In this article, the word “story” has a broader scope.

The Definition of Storytelling

To tell the story of a photo or a series, I advise you to use the technique of storytelling. This is what I do regularly in my professional activity.

Storytelling is literally telling a story for the purpose of communicating experiences. This terminology is often used in marketing for advertising purposes, as it appeals and personally connects with the audience.

The storytelling technique should normally capture attention and arouse emotion in the viewer.

In marketing, storytelling is used to promote a brand or product by creating an argument that “I personally appreciated this brand or product, here is why, and thus you also should appreciate this brand or product.” In this example, storytelling is used to convince the viewer through shared experiences. In our case of nature photographs however, storytelling asks the viewer questions about a theme or experience, using the photographs instead of the brand or product to share a point.

In photography, storytelling uses real experiences that happened to you in the field. Storytelling reinforces the impact of your photographs and illuminates your photographic vision to the viewer.

“A Good Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words” Is Not Always True

You have certainly heard this quote that says, "A good picture is worth a thousand words".

Since the birth of photography and for several decades after, this quote was perfectly justified because the photographs were not retouched very much. However, this saying cannot possibly apply to modern photography. With the advent of digital technologies, this phrase has lost the truth of its meaning. Many photographs are retouched, transformed, or even digitally created from scratch with montages that are impossible to detect with the naked human eye.

This practice has become common in recent years. The main reason for this “fake photography” is that it is necessary to constantly create new photographs to please the general public. We must always advance in the direction of the general public.

Many celebrities and pop culture influencers were inspired by the techniques of commercial photography. While photography has become a way to sell products, it is also a way to attract followers to social media, magazine articles, newspapers, websites, and blogs. Everyone has something to sell, whether the purpose for doing so involves profit or fame.

The rule that prevails today is to closely adhere to viewer’s expectations in order to attract and retain a large audience. We must please everyone when trying to sell attractive products or gain the most "likes" possible. It is a narrow and difficult path to traverse in the world of photography.

Today, most published photos have been retouched to tell stories that appeal to an audience which has not taken the time to appreciate the aesthetics of a beautiful image or experience the emotions that are conveyed.

Are these pictures interesting?

In our opinion, the answer is no. With these fake photographs, the creator did not want to show emotions or transmit subliminal messages. He has merely chosen to side with an audience’s opinions in order to please them and attract the maximum number of people to the products or brands represented in the images.

I believe that before one claims that a photograph of nature is truly interesting, it is necessary to understand the context in which it was created and carried out.

This is what we call the story of a photo.

For me, it has become an important judgment criterion for the impact of the photo on our viewers.

Interesting Photos Have a Hidden Story

When you talk with your friends or other photographers about photographs that you enjoy, you are always able to tell the story of why you appreciate the particular photographs.

This story usually explains both the conditions in which the photo was created and the way in which it was taken.

Do a quick analysis and you'll see that even for the so-called shock pictures that are worth a thousand words, you will appreciate their associated stories.

Through experience, we have learned that the artistic photos we sold best had a story that we explained to our clients.

A Story Reinforces Impact

When someone appreciates one of your photos, the first criterion of their evaluation or analysis involves the initial impact it had upon them. The viewer is hooked because he feels a special connection at the sight of your photo. This is what I call the "Wow" effect. This impact is indefinable, non-quantifiable, and not explicable. It is a personal feeling; each person feels a different impact.

Your photographic technique, regardless of its expert quality, will have no effect on this initial impact.

If you know how to tell a beautiful story about a photograph or a series, you will reinforce this impact. The story will allow the viewer to gain a deeper connection with the image each time he sees it. He will never forget the image once he has that personal connection.

When presented with a story, your photograph will exist not only on paper but also in the mind of every person who appreciated it. This creates a group of individuals with a shared experience of viewing the image.

The story enables you to create an interesting nature photograph.

A Beautiful Story Affirms Differences

You may have realized that creating interesting nature photographs is challenging.

The number of photographers has greatly increased in recent decades. Creativity remains one of the best ways to affirm your differences and yet stand apart from the crowd.

Telling a beautiful story is also an effective tool of distinguishing yourself from others because each story is different.

When you propose a series of photographs for an exhibition, gallery, festival or photo contest, the choice of your story will influence the impact of your image upon the audience.

Dreams: The Heart of a Story

Do not think that stories are only for kids. Every person has a dream, regardless of age.

It is important to take a break from the hubbub of life and wander into your imagination.

To understand why we need to dream, just think back to your childhood or teenage years. It really wasn’t as long ago as you may think.

When you were young, you certainly did not have to worry about your daily life. Your parents took care of it for you. You were fed, clothed, and sheltered. Most likely, your only concerns at the time were to make good grades at school and spend time with friends.

However, you enjoyed stories, whether they were presented in movies or books, or told by a friend.

Today, you are an adult. Your concerns are most likely centered on your professional activities, your family, and your home. Moreover, you feel concerned by the countless problems of the world due to the media feeding you negative information daily. Even if you cannot do anything about a difficult situation or problem presented through the media, your mind still dwells upon it, weighing your spirit down.

Fortunately, a temporary way to escape this secular noise is to experience stories, which will help you to escape your daily life and dream.

Everyone around you has exactly the same needs, even if we fulfill those needs differently. In our society, we have the same concerns, which is why when you tell a story through your photographs, the audience will be captivated. If your photo helps your viewer to dream, its qualitative value will increase because it is more interesting.

Telling a story is a form of illumination. It causes the photo to gain significance.

An Example of Photographic Storytelling

Why and How: Mastering Masses in Nature Photography

When you create a nature photograph, you must be very attentive to the balance of the masses, to prevent a poorly balanced photo.

This concept of mass is very important, it is essential because it improves and facilitates the reading of your photographs.

This photograph of a red deer stag during the bugle is balanced in masses. No area is swinging in one direction or the other.

Definition of the Photographic Mass
The Effects of Mass in a Composition
Role of Positive and Negative Space in Mass Management
Some Examples of Photos With Mass Imbalances
Some General Guidelines
Finally

Definition of the Photographic Mass

A mass is not measured in kilograms or in pounds alone. In nature photography, the mass is an essential element to master when creating balanced photos that attract the eye of the viewer to the point of interest.

Unlike a physical mass, a photographic mass does not have a standardized unit that can be easily measured. Instead of being assessed in pounds or kilograms, photographic mass is quantified by the feelings it evokes through its visual aspect.

In a nature photograph, the large photographic elements weigh more heavily than smaller details.

Dark photographic elements have a heavier effect than clear photographic elements.

The Effects of Mass in a Composition

During my nature photography workshops, I often use the analogy of a Roman scale to analyze if a photograph is well balanced in its masses.

For example, if I see a dark mass in the left part of a photo and there is no mass reflected in the right part, I say that the photo is unbalanced. The photo seems to lean to the left. Aesthetically, it is not beautiful because the eye of the viewer will automatically be attracted to this mass and his or her eyes will avert downwards as if was attracted by gravity. The viewer will not look at the points of interest immediately. The ideal with this analogy of the Roman balance is to have two masses that counterbalance in a photo.

Of course, as usual, there are exceptions that can be applied to this general rule. A small photographic element will not necessarily cause a mass imbalance.

The arrangement of photographic elements in a composition is important as I have explained in this article.

Let us suppose that the center of the scene corresponds to a pressure point. If a photographic element with a heavy mass is located to the left of the pressure point, and if a lighter element is located to the right, then an imbalance seems to have occurred. This is an optical effect.

Role of Positive and Negative Space in Mass Management

In a photograph, the masses have a close relationship with negative and positive spaces. They do not just serve to judge an image as I have described in this article, but they play an essential role in the photo’s balance.

In a photograph, the positive space is where photographic elements exist with forms. Negative space which I described in this article, is the empty space around these forms. Just to remind you, the negative space is the space that surrounds the point of interest of a photograph.

For example, in the image of an animal’s silhouette, the negative space makes up the background of the photo.

Negative space has an essential function in a photograph: it ensures balance. It allows the eyes of the viewer to relax by preventing visual clutter.

Negative space can be a neutral or contrasting background. It allows you to direct your gaze towards the main point of interest, without any distraction.

The proper placement of shapes in relation to the surrounding negative space is essential to facilitate the reading of a photograph. This is how I ensure an excellent balance of the masses.

The absence of content through individual forms, and consequently of masses, does not mean the absence of interest. On the contrary, the negative space provides a completely different view if it is well chosen in the scene.

It is for this reason that you must choose the photographic point of view for a nature scene. This choice ensures a good balance of mass. The remoteness of the centers of interest gently guides the viewer’s gaze towards the smaller masses.

Some Examples of Photos With Mass Imbalances

This photograph of a swan taking-off shows a mass imbalance with the dark area at the top.

This photograph of a Little Egret presents several mass imbalances.

Some General Guidelines

The strongest interests in a scene are distinguished by having more mass than any other item present.

Regular shapes have more weight than irregular shapes.

In the western world, the elements on the right side of an asymmetric photograph have more weight than similarly sized elements on the left side.

In a photograph, you must be careful about the way in which you direct the gaze of living beings. For example, an animal moving in a certain direction, but with its gaze directed in the opposite direction, can cause an imbalance of the masses. This creates visual confusion. To avoid this, you as the photographer must always monitor the movements of certain shapes in a scene.

Finally

Mastering the masses in the composition of a photograph is essential to ensuring a defined balance throughout the entire scene. In artistic photography, this is a fundamental concept.

Mismanagement of the masses can lead to complete disinterest by a viewer because his eyes will not be attracted to the essential points of interests. Our hope for you, is that with practice, such mismanagement can be avoided, and the overall quality of your works will increase.