Imagine a photograph of a flower. Easy enough. Now, imagine a photograph of silence. What might that look like?
While photographs have the power to immediately convey an idea or story without the need for words, some ideas are easier to represent than others. Think of emotions like anxiety and wonder; abstract concepts like freedom and infinity; and values like patience and loyalty. With all the various types of photography at our disposal, how do you create or choose an image that represents these things?
Conceptual photography and visual metaphor
Conceptual photography is the genre dedicated to conveying ideas or concepts through images. The conceptual photographer sets out to meticulously create an image that communicates something beyond the literal.
This is usually done using symbols and visual metaphors. For example, a budding tree might represent personal growth, or a bird in flight might signify freedom.
Conceptual photography is often created as fine art, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have commercial uses. It’s particularly strong in advertising. If you’ve ever seen a snarling panther pictured alongside a fast car, you’ve seen visual metaphor in action.
Visual metaphors: it’s all about context
Many different interpretations can be attached to a single photograph, and the way we interpret the image often comes down to context.
The beauty of this is that you don’t necessarily need to use complex conceptual photography projects to convey the meaning you want. You can draw on images from different genres and use context to turn them into meaningful symbols.
Is this the feature image for a documentary about climate change or Freud's theory of the unconscious mind?
What do we mean by this? Let’s take an example from landscape photography. The same photo of an iceberg could be used on the film poster of a documentary about climate change or in an article about Freudian psychology – even though the photographer didn’t create the image with either of these ideas in mind.
The bottom line is that there’s a wealth of options for images you can use to represent a single concept. It’s just a matter of thinking broadly and making creative connections.
Conveying symbols and metaphors in photography
Concepts and ideas can be transmitted through photography in so many different ways. Let’s take a look at some of the key techniques and elements to consider when thinking about which images to choose.
Negative space
The negative space in an image is far from meaningless. On the contrary, it can be a powerful symbol.
- It can represent hope, aspirations, or potential – think of a person looking into the distance with lots of blue sky ahead of them.
- It can convey solitude or emptiness, e.g. someone curled up on the ground with blank space all around them.
- It can establish scale, conveying smallness – such as a person framed against a wide landscape with lots of negative space.
Use of negative space can establish scale, convey a sense of isolation, or indeed hope and aspiration too.
Symmetry
Symmetrical elements in a photo automatically create visual harmony and balance – and it’s a short stretch to extend those qualities into metaphor. For example, a symmetrical image of a mountain reflected in a lake could signify inner tranquility.
A perfectly symmetrical construction – like the repeating steel beams of a modern bridge – could be used to represent stability, monotony, or a variety of other concepts.
In this image of the Hungarian parliament building, symmetry is used to convey order, stability and strength.
Reflections
Reflective surfaces have many creative uses in photography, and their potential for symbolism is nearly endless.
- A mirror reflection of the physical self can be analogous to introspection.
- When the image in the mirror is different to the reality in front of it, it suggests a distorted self-image.
- Water reflections can be used as a metaphor for the unconscious.
- Mirror shards or cracked reflections can represent mental health issues, loss of identity, etc.
- An object that’s reflected in a clean, shiny surface can convey the idea that the object itself is shiny, new and desirable (another one you see a lot in advertising).
The shards of mirror reflecting the subject tell a story about identity here.
Leading lines
Leading lines in photography are used to draw the viewer’s eye to a particular part of the image and create perspective.
As an element of visual metaphor, they’re most often used to suggest the idea of a journey or moving forwards – for example, a road or train tracks that start in the foreground of the image and disappear into the horizon. Of course, the nature of the journey is up for interpretation: it may be physical, spiritual, psychological or otherwise.
Leading lines are great at directing the viewer's eye, but it can also help portray the beginnings of a journey.
Colour
Whether it’s the colour pop of an object or a tint that’s applied to the whole photo, the palette of an image is instrumental to the message it conveys. For example:
- Colour is a strong visual shorthand. Think about when you walk down a supermarket aisle: a product with green packaging immediately suggests something healthy and fresh, while yellow gives the idea of something energising. This power of mental association can be used in any type of imagery.
- Colour can be used to evoke emotion. For example, red hues can summon up feelings like passion or anger while blue signifies calm.
- A lack of colour can also contribute to a visual metaphor, e.g. a desaturated or black and white image could suggest the past or timelessness.
This picture is recent enough to be captured in colour (1990s), but the lack of colour gives it a sense of timelessness.
Props
Finally, a few well-placed props in an image can transform its meaning into something conceptual or symbolic. As always, these elements can have multiple interpretations depending on the context the image is presented in and the way the viewer receives it.
- Elements of nature like flowers or plants can symbolise growth.
- Clouds can symbolise daydreams or lofty thoughts.
- Butterflies signify rebirth and renewal; birds in flight signify freedom.
- Books can represent knowledge or wisdom.
- Lights can be used as a symbol of hope.
And so on…
Visual symbolism can be used to wide variety of ways to represent complex concepts. What does this image represent for you?
A world of possibility
These are just a few examples of how the elements and composition of a photograph can open up a world of possibilities as to how the image can be used and interpreted.
Whether it’s for advertising or marketing, editorial or graphic design, you can find images to convey even the most abstract of ideas. Next time you get stuck on how to represent a particular concept visually, consider some of the points above – and think outside the box!
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This is a guest post by Tania Braukamper, Editor of Shotkit.com