Write About Your Photos

Over the last year I’ve gotten back into photography after a hiatus, and I’ve been putting my photos out into the world. Oddly though, something about that has felt “empty” to me. Like something is missing but until now I haven’t been able to quite put my finger on it. I’ve come to realize what I think has been missing from my photography isn’t photography at all, but the aspect of written story-telling.

Telling Your Story

Everyone’s heard the saying “a photo is worth a thousand words.” But which words? What is the story you want to tell?

This photo really stirs a lot of emotion for me. I find myself wondering: Was he just let go from his job? Is he between homes? Did his relationship just suddenly end? There are so many unanswered questions.

But there’s a deeper story this photo tells. Of starting over, resilience, and new possibilities. Yes, times are tough for him right now. But the future now holds something new. Something bright that he cannot possibly imagine yet.

I’ve been there. I’ve had to start over and rebuild my life. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it, or where I would end up. But I put one foot in front of the other. I endured, and step by step I made it. The life I have on the other side has been better than I ever could’ve hoped for.

Bridging Humanity

I find more and more that what I really crave more than creating photos, is connecting and building a sense of community with others who engage with the world like I do.

A photo can move people, but story helps bind us together. Writing adds depth through shared experience, and bridges the gap of my perspective with yours.

So much of sharing online (Instagram is particularly terrible for this) feels like attention seeking. I think most artists in our online age have (ironically, as connected as we all are now) felt a little lonely. A simple like, or “🔥🔥🔥” comment just doesn’t feel like the genuine connection I am looking for. I want to resonate with the viewer, for them to pause and think, I know that feeling or I’ve been there before. And I think written story can help create that invisible thread that connects us and not feel quite as alone in the world.

Deepen Your Own Connection To Your Work

I often think of photography as a self-portrait from behind the camera. We reflect back at ourselves our thoughts, feelings, and emotions, by what we decide to photograph. But without examination and documentation, that reflection becomes blurry over time and eventually gets lost.

An unexamined photograph feels like an unfinished sentence — it lacks weight and meaning that gives it completeness. Reflecting on your work makes you sit down and really ask yourself why you took it in the first place. That turns it from a photo you took, to a photo you made.

Writing adds voice to your photo’s vision — not just for others, but for yourself.

Conclusion

Photography is expression, and I’m starting this blog to share more about myself and my photography. I hope you’ll also write about your own photography whether it’s a photo journal, or a blog. If you decide to publish your writing, send me a link. I’d love to read what you write.