Introduction to Visual Storytelling in Photography

Reading Photographs The Formal and Visual Elements

Photographs are not, as is often assumed, a mechanical record. Every time we look at a photograph, we are aware, however slightly, of the photographer selecting that sight from an infinity of other possible sights."

​-- John Berger

​Photographers make choices. This; not that. Photographs are the results of those choices.

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Photographers are usually aware of the ways in which they can create interest in their images regardless of the subject. This is sometimes what separates successful and less successful pictures of the same thing. The following list describes some of the formal or visual elements in any photograph. These are mostly shared with other kinds of pictures, although photography has some that are special:

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The Formal or Visual Elements

Light // Which areas of the photograph are brightest?

Are there any shadows? Does the photograph allow you to guess the time of day? Is the light natural or artificial? Harsh or soft? Reflected or direct? How does light fall across the objects in the photograph?

LINE // Are there objects in the photograph that act as lines? Are they straight, curvy, thin, thick? Do the lines create direction in the photograph? Do they outline? Do the lines show movement or energy?

REPETITION // Are there any objects, shapes or lines which repeat and create a rhythm or pattern? Do you see echoes or reflections within the image?

SHAPE // Do you see geometric (straight edged) or organic (curvy) shapes? Which are they and how do they relate to each other?

Is there depth to the photograph or does it seem shallow? What creates this appearance? What is placed in the foreground, middle ground and background? Are there important negative (empty) spaces in addition to positive (solid) spaces?

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SPACE

TEXTURE // If you could touch the surface of the photograph how would it feel? How do the objects in the picture look like they would feel?

TONE/VALUE

Is there a range of tones from dark to light? Where is the darkest part of the image? Where is the lightest? Are the tones in the photograph balanced or does the image tend towards darkness or lightness overall. How does this affect the mood or atmosphere?

COLOUR // What kind of colours can you see e.g. saturated, muted, complementary, primary? Is there a dominant colour? How would this image be different if it was in black and white? Does the use of colour help us understand the subject or does it work independently?

How have the various elements in the picture been arranged? Does the image seem balanced or unbalanced? Is it possible to superimpose geometrical shapes on the image to better understand the composition e.g. a pyramid? Has the photographer used the Rule of Thirds?

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Garry Winogrand, Children at Zoo, c. Early 1960's

COMPOSITION