“A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words.” This being the case, does one that conveys the full essence of a story mean it’s worth a million? It’s true that every photo has a story. It’s true that text can be created to detail every image ever made. It’s true that every photo that’s viewed triggers thoughts that can be translated into words. But not every photo that’s taken can stand on its own merits to convey the complete account of the moment. This is where the challenge comes in to create a single image that speaks volumes about it.

Challenge # 1: The Moment - Think of the speed at which many photographs are made. In a nutshell, it’s mind boggling. The captured moment is recorded, on average, at 1/250th of a second. Take this to another level and think about this - if asked if a half second of time in the grand scheme of things is fast or slow, the overwhelming majority of responses would be, “Extremely fast.” Yet photographically, the difference in time between 1/250 and 1/2 second is an eternity. With this in mind, it becomes obvious that the timing of the “moment” is critical. Take for instance the photo of the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. Had the photo been made a few seconds earlier or later, the dynamic angle and lines of the soldiers and flag would have been totally different and certainly not as interesting. Capturing the perfect moment means keeping your eye glued to the viewfinder and your shutter finger ready for action. Additionally, placing your camera on motor drive helps. 

©Russell Burden

Challenge # 2: The Emotion - The higher the emotional impact of the image, the greater the potential to tell a story. Think about the times you’ve viewed the image of an adorable baby and went, “Ahhhhh.” Think about the images you’ve seen that depict famine and hunger and thought about making a donation. Think about the great sports shots that show the game winning touchdown, bottom of the 9th home run or a three pointer buzzer beater from the perimeter. A photo that stimulates emotion, feeling, exhilaration or excitement is sure to tell a story. When photographing people, look for expression in the eyes. If it’s a sporting event, shoot often in that it’s hard to predict when a key event will occur. If it’s a family vacation, concentrate on candids. When possible, try to predict what will happen and be ready for it. The more familiar you become with your subjects, the easier this becomes. 

©Russell Burden

Challenge # 3: The Story - Simplicity is often the key to telling a story with an image. If it’s cluttered, busy, or has background distractions, the subject gets lost in the chaos. If the subject is lost, it’s hard to convey the story. Reduce the components to just the basics. Find the angle where the subject stands out from the background. Use shallow depth of field to try to throw the background out of focus. Use a different lens to minimize the chaos. Get down low to use the sky as a backdrop or get up high to find a more pleasing angle. The bottom line is you want the subject and what he or she is doing to dominate the image.

©Russell Burden

To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Nature Photo Tours. Visit russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, email me to be placed on my Tip of the Week list and to receive announcements about upcoming tours specials or to pick up a copy of my book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.