Engaging the viewers emotions

Shay Stephens

How do you get a photo to be remembered by the viewer? Do you think a photo that is sharp is memorable? It can be. Is it color that people remember? I remember colorful photos. Is it a pretty face? Who doesn't enjoy seeing a pretty face!

Of the photos that have jolted my soul, made me hold my breath, and made a lasting impression, it is easily the photos that engage my emotions, be they happy, sad, romantic, or inspirational. Emotion is what makes us seek out love and danger, read a good book or stroll through a beautiful garden. Emotions cement dreams and nightmares. And artists the world over from dance to prose find ways to convey or elicit emotion in all the work they do.

As a photographer using the visual medium of an image you have a pallet of tools and techniques at your disposal to create or draw out emotion. The focus on the eyes with a shallow depth of field, the warm color cast of the images white balance, the composition the shows interaction or potential. They all are like the colors on a painters pallet for you to use to maximum effect.

So when putting a photo together, be it in preplanning or on the fly, learn to use the tools you have (focus, color, composition, etc) to highlight the emotional aspects of your image. A good place to start is try to identify the key emotion you see or are trying to convey. If you can identify it in your mind, you stand a much better chance of choosing the technique that will best bring it out.

So the question at this point then becomes, what are some things that convey emotion? We all know the face does, but did you know the hands can convey nearly as much emotion as a face? How about a sunbeam? A lone tree in a large field of grass all by itself.

How about you? What things do you find draw out an emotion response? How many things can we identify, either subject wise or compositionally, that tug at your heartstrings? How do you identify the emotion of a shot?

swintonphoto

About 10 years ago I was working as an intern for Tillman Crane (www.tillmancrane.com). He was an inspiration to a young aspiring photographer. I remember after a long day of shooting sitting across the table from Tillman as he asked me "which images do you remember making today". I recall thinking through the day and a few stood out. I told him about a few of them, and he smiled. He said, "Those will likely be your best images". As I have pondered the conversation numerous time since I wonder if Tillman was teaching me how I connect with my photographs. Those images I remembered that day were the ones that spoke with emotion, and I still reverence one of them to this day. I felt the emotion making them, and that feeling combined with the beauty of the compositions made the message of the images stick in my memory.
I think, for me, the key to understanding emotion in my work is to be aware of the reaction I feel as I work. It is like a rush for me. It is intoxicating. To feel the image as I setup the composition - then as it sticks in my mind for the remainder of the day. That is how emotion moves my photographs. And, inevitably, those emotional images are the most important to me. I can't always explain why, but they feel so good to look at.

quark

Not sure that I could comment on what causes this connection, but I believe Shay is correct about how important this really is. The photos that sell well always surprize me, and each time I ask someone why they picked that particular photo they almost always have some reason tied to emotion. "I grew up in that area" or "reminds me of my grandmother's garden". Capturing the connection is the tricky part!

The Curious Camel

Wow, you put into words a connection, electricity, etc. that happens when it all comes together. When I was reading what you said I would get glimpse of the picture I remember most and it brought a smile to face to get that connection.

I love reading your advise to us or sharing your experiences. I have learned so much for the short time I have entered photos for the contests.

Thanks so much for taking the time to do what you do. I, as I am sure many, many others of us appreciate it.

Peace to you, Gail

fashiznitsngrins

Interesting thoughts
After reading your post, I was trying to think which photos out of LPS stood out in my head, for whatever reason. They were very different. Now, I get to try and work out why those photos stand out for me, because on the surface, they don't really have any significance for me, other than just being really awesome photographs. Am I missing something? (Maybe a few brain cells!)

Maybe if I ponder it more for a while, I'll end up discovering something new about myself! I have realised that I tend to be drawn toward simplicity, but is that saying something else as well? You say a lone tree in a field has emotion. Is there a connection between these images?







These were three that stood out for me when thinking back at which entries I really liked. Not to say that there weren't plenty more, but these just popped into my head.

MarkTodd

Perhaps you seek tranquility?

fashiznitsngrins

MarkTodd wrote:

Perhaps you seek tranquility?

You mean like a secluded beach with no distractions, just the warm sun, sound of the waves and an umbrella drink? You could be on to something there!!!

Here's another two that also really stand out:





Perhaps maybe it's solitude that I am seeking! One definite thing these all have in common - they are all beautifully done and there are no "I wish"es in them (I don't look at any of them and say, "I wish it were more in focus," or "I wish it had been cropped differently".) Perhaps maybe an emotion that I enjoy is purity and beauty?? (Are those even emotions??)

swintonphoto

Well, they triggered emotions in me just looking at them. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Pat664422

fashiznitsngrins wrote:

You say a lone tree in a field has emotion. Is there a connection between these images?

When I read the phrase "A lone tree in a large field of grass" in Shay's post it made me envision a picture which gave me feelings of solitude and isolation. But for a picture to actually evoke those feelings in someone, I think it would have to composed correctly - it'd have to be a very large field where even a very large tree would look small by the size of the empy land around it.

The photo on the lone tree you posted is a different type of setting to me - the post processing makes it look like an early dawn in a fantasy world with the glow everywhere. And it has a road for cars to pass by and wave to it... so it's not so lonely to me

The other two pictures you posted of the flower and guitar to me show the appreciably beauty of simple and elegant lines.

fashiznitsngrins

Pat664422 wrote:

When I read the phrase "A lone tree in a large field of grass" in Shay's post it made me envision a picture which gave me feelings of solitude and isolation. But for a picture to actually evoke those feelings in someone, I think it would have to composed correctly - it'd have to be a very large field where even a very large tree would look small by the size of the empy land around it.

The photo on the lone tree you posted is a different type of setting to me - the post processing makes it look like an early dawn in a fantasy world with the glow everywhere. And it has a road for cars to pass by and wave to it... so it's not so lonely to me

The other two pictures you posted of the flower and guitar to me show the appreciably beauty of simple and elegant lines.

I do think that I have realised through this thread, that I definitely have an appreciation for beauty - in all of its forms.

urbanaries

swintonphoto wrote:

I think, for me, the key to understanding emotion in my work is to be aware of the reaction I feel as I work. .... And, inevitably, those emotional images are the most important to me. I can't always explain why, but they feel so good to look at.

I couldn't put it in better words myself. It is much like a drug, looking again and again at the photos that moved your own soul as you took them. I think that is what keeps me shooting...it sounds narcissistic, but there are worse addictions to have, ya know!

fashiznitsngrins wrote:

Here's another two that also really stand out:



... Perhaps maybe an emotion that I enjoy is purity and beauty?? (Are those even emotions??)

like Swinton said, while most of the shots you take you get tired of, there are some images you hold dear to your soul, and this shot of my sister in law is one of them. I am so honored it made your "short list" of emotive photographs!!! You made my day!