What is the point of a photograph? I suspect that’s a question very few of us ask ourselves. But the question still remains, even if unsaid. Put another way: why do you take photographs? It’s not a question for the ‘happy snappers’ out there who just take photos as a means of recording something that they saw, happened to them, where they’d been, family and friend snaps etc etc. And to be honest, most of this sort of photography can be done on smartphones. Nowt wrong with that if that’s your thing. No, I’m addressing this matter to those who are a little serious (to say the least) about their photography. Most will fall into one of the following categories: Beginner, enthusiast or professional. Beginners usually start their journey at the low end of the price spectrum to discover if they want to progress any further. Enthusiasts have usually ‘bit the bullet’ and are on their way to achieving even better images. Professionals, by definition, are well under steam. But, I believe that my original question applies to all: Beginner, Enthusiast, Professional. What is the point of a photograph?
For sure, by definition, it’s a record of something. But surely that’s not the answer to ‘What’s the point…?’
Photography must be much more than this and I would suggest that great photographs tell a story. Doesn’t matter what the story is…it’s the way it’s told. That’s what matters. That’s what makes a great photograph. I’m not going down the rabbit hole of ‘what do we mean by ‘great’? We all know that this is both subjective, objective and/or personal. But….good photographs tell a story to whomever the viewer is. Listen to tellers of stories…we all have our favourites that captivate, intonate and draw us deep into the story they are telling. Good photographs do the same. They captivate us and draw us in by creating a reaction in us, almost forcing us to ask questions, comment and make statements about the image. Perhaps the greatest wildlife photograph of the last 100 years is Michael Nichols’s image ‘The Last Great Picture’ . Check it out by clicking the link. This certainly tells a story without equal.
Surely, images like this should inspire us to tell our own stories through our photography? This requires time, thought, questions, failures, determination and stickability. And that’s the way it should be, surely? Otherwise, it’d be a bit like playing cricket with a one metre wide bat: incredibly boring with hardly any skill needed. Outcomes would never tell a story, never tell your story and never cause a reaction in the viewer.
Next time you’re out with your camera ask yourself the question…
‘Why am I taking this photograph and what’s the point of it?’
And don’t kid yourself with a cheap, tacky answer. That’ll only keep you happy and that in turn may be seen as a bit narcissistic by some folk. Let’s stop kidding ourselves: Stop taking cheap shots – literally! And work your art. Tell a story. Tell the story you can see so that when someone looks at your image they too will get the story.
It’s time to make a connection with our viewers.
Happy snappin’ folks
Meter The Light 