There is a power in words. Slight nuances in verbiage can affect how we see. Do you take a photo of something or about something? Photographer James Popsys came up with this theory and I want to elaborate on it in regards to visual storytelling.

Is there a difference?

I think so. Visual storytelling is so much more than conveying information through our lens. It taps into our humanness and our emotions, the subtle intricacies that we can relate to. Maybe it’s the chocolate-stained hands of a little one reaching for a cookie or the muddy boots of a weathered rancher. What about this subject is interesting? What about it calls to your eye? Asking ourselves what about this subject is beautiful (pick your adjective)…allows us to draw out the marrow or the soul of our subject.

A photo of something, I believe is about capturing a subject or scene as it is, a form of documentation about the information that is in the frame. Think of a photojournalist. They document what is unfolding in the scene. The facts. A photo of something is simply capturing what we see in front of us as it is in reality. It’s straightforward and matter-of-fact. It is what it is. A photo of a coffee cup on a table is a photo of just that, nothing else - no further message or story underneath necessarily. It’s the surface-level view of our subject which has merit on its own. But let’s go deeper…

About captures the essence of the subject more deeply. It’s a way of seeing the heart of the subject rather than the superficial (it’s literal meaning) perspective. What better genre would be a more relevant example than portraiture? When you capture someone’s portrait, as a photographer you ideally want to capture their personality and essence. The light within them. Isn’t that a portrait about them? Who they are? A portrait of them, to me, feels one-dimensional. A portrait about someone goes deeper. Our lens attempts to pierce into their soul, even just for a split second as they shoot us a smile, letting their guard down. That is what I mean when I say we can ask ourselves do we want to capture a photo of something or about something?

This isn’t a wrong way to shoot, but we can approach our subjects from a different perspective when we ask ourselves do we want to capture a photo of this or a photo about this.

Next time you set up a shot, think about this question: do you want to capture a photo of your subject or about your subject? The answer can help you decide how you would style it, and determine your camera settings, the elements in your frame, the composition, and lighting. How can you capture your subject to show the spirit, feeling, essence, soul, core of it? This requires a moment of reflection and observation. To capture a photo “about” something requires you to really look and observe, take it all in from a macro to micro perspective before clicking the shutter button. We must observe the nuances, quirks, and feeling and allow us to “warm” up to our subject and it or they to us. It’s a form of visual intimacy through our lens. Once give ourselves the time to observe, we begin to see things we didn’t before…ways of framing or subject that reflects the story we want to tell. We see objects that we want to include in the shot to further enhance this photo “about” our subject.

For example, this past weekend I went to the opening day of the Maui Polo Club. It’s about 3 minutes away from my house and I’m no sports photographer mind you, but I took it as a challenge for myself to capture the moment. I settled myself on the sidelines with my 2.8 24-70mm lens and scoped out the scene. I definitely could have used a 70-200mm but this is what I’ve got so I went with it. I asked myself, “do I want to take a photo of the polo game or about the polo game?” A photo of the polo game would be in my opinion, a tact sharp action shot of the players and horses. A standard sports action shot. Straight forward. Clear. Direct. Dynamic. Nothing wrong with that. But I took a different approach. I ventured into unchartered shutter speed territory for me and pushed it to 1/60 of a sec. A complete change of speed, quite literally, from my typical subjects of a loaf of bread or a sweeping landscape. I knew I wanted to capture some photographs “about” the polo game. And what is the essence of polo? The speed, agility, and movement of the horses. The sheer beauty and strength of these magnificent animals and their skilled riders. Shooting at a slower shutter speed allowed me to capture the dynamic motion and feeling of the game. The blurred motion in these photos are “about” the subject (I think so anyway.) They aren’t perfect but they encapsulate the essence of the moment and the game. If these were tact sharp, I think they would be lacking in depth and the spirit of the game. Mind you this is my way of storytelling for this scene, but that’s the beauty of using your camera settings to share the story you want to tell.

So next time you set up your shot, ask yourself, do you want to take a photo of ____or about ____? Be intentional and deliberate, neither is right or wrong. It boils down to the story you want to share.