David duChemin “speaks photographically” about an image

by David duChemin on July 22, 2011

Last week we heard from David duChemin, about his new book Photographically Speaking: a deeper look at creating better images. As a follow up to that interview, David joins us again today to model "speaking photographically" about an image in his IGVP Portfolio. 

Can you briefly model to us what it looks like to speak photographically by talking about one of the images in your IGVP Portfolio?     

The image of the small boy in the hands of his grandfather is a good one to illustrate this. Doing it briefly means I skip some of the deeper discussion. I think it's key we learn to describe everything - every element and decision - that goes into the creation of the photograph. That would include the vertical orientation that allows us to focus on the vertical story of a small child in the protective posture of his grandfather, or father. It includes the POV, which in this case is at the child's level and implies an equality. It includes the scale - the smallness of the boys hands next to his grandfathers, and the contrasts - both in the textures (soft skin vs. weathered hands) and in the concepts - young vs. old, vulnerable vs. protective. How we compose and place the elements affects what we look at and the path the eyes take as they read the image, in this case in a spiral from the young face to the the hands, up the arm and back down to the face. A crop that were not as tight would allow the eye to leave this path, diminishing the impact. It all matters - the lines, the light, the lens, everything. Meaning is found at the intersection of the subject (theme), the subject matter, and the composition - which I argue includes, to a greater or lesser degree from image to image, every decision we make, down to the f/Stop and shutter speed. All of this forms the words and grammar through which I tell - or imply - a story about this boy and his grandfather. I could have taken a snapshot that gave all the same information but had none of the emotion or impact. Information is good, but impact is what gives the reader an experience. It is that experience, we hope, that changes hearts and minds.