The MW dictionary defines a picture as : “an idea of how something or someone looks, of what something is like, etc. a general situation”. In a society where 99.9% of Americans own or have access to a camera, most people will use their camera and simply take a photo with no creativity, no intentionality, and no meaning behind it. That is my definition of a picture. The first portrait of my subject above is an example of a picture. It photo looks like almost as if it was taken by accident. The composition is haggard which makes the content of the visual dull and unmoving. If not for the girl’s pretty face the picture would not even warrant a second glance, as most pictures don’t. A lot of the photos that friends and families flood our timelines with are pictures. Most people are not photographers and have no interest in becoming one, so for them to capture pictures when they use a camera is expected and perfectly acceptable. However, for those of us who call ourselves ‘photographers’, our ability to deliver images and images that tell stories is what sets us apart.
An image is a story’s fraternal twin. Every story is an image, but not every image tells a story. An image is different from a picture in the sense that it contains a visual that is striking and/or distinct. Creativity is the main ingredient in an image. Almost as much as an image requires creativity does it require intentionality. Images are dominant in fashion photography. A portrait of a pretty girl wearing a designer pair of sunglasses set against a solid white background may be visually appealing but tells no story. Just like the second portrait above, captioned “image”, the content of the photo is distinct but it is difficult to identify a message. An image with a story depends more on intentionality than creativity, but the combination of both allows for great imagery to be made and can display the photographer’s style. In the third photo above, captioned ‘story’, the changes made were able to add a message to the image that was perhaps present to the mind, yet still elusive to the eye.
Fictionagraphy 