What do good photography and storytelling have in common?  When I was a photography intern at the Virginian-Pilot, my editor once told me, “Eye candy sells papers, but good photography tells a story.”  Visual imagery is pervasive in our society today, but lately I’ve been asking myself where the message is.  Photographers seem to have forgotten that a picture used to be worth a thousand words.

As a photographer and videographer, one critical skill that I base my style upon is that for an image to be effective, it has to tell a clear story and it has to put the subject in context.  I teach photography courses on the weekends, and one question I always present to my students is “What are you trying to tell me with this picture?”  With my first-time pupils, I am almost always met with a confused response, because most people initially assume that a picture is just a picture. My philosophy is that a picture is worth at least a thousand words, and if you can’t fill a page with the message that your shot conveys, then you aren’t sending a strong enough message.

Every communication tool should send a well-defined message, always. If it can do so artfully, then your audience is more likely to listen to what you have to say. In today’s visually immersive world, the best way to make your product stand out is with imagery that helps tell your story!

Image courtesy: www.JasonAllenPhotography.com