rashedahmed Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 If a narration of a photograph is bigger than the photo itself then it's not a good photograph. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray House Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 If you have a great photo and add a large narration, does it then become a bad photo? I think your statement is flawed. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_bowring Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 I have always thought of photography as a visual medium. If you have to explain a photograph it probably is not working. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spearhead Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 So if someone writes a story about something and illustrates it with photos, the writing isn't working? Music and Portraits Blog: Life in Portugal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rashedahmed Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 Photo narration in an exhibition, I ment. Not the narration for a story in a magazine or blog. Just to be clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanford Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 People incessantly talking about their photos, "Photo Narration", is what drove me away from the photo club. A picture of a stack of old tires doesn't suddenly become a better photo because its now relevant. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Vongries Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 This has been discussed at great length in the past - basically comes down to two points of view, pro & con, with no right or wrong, just endless bickering. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny_rane Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 If a narration of a photograph is bigger than the photo itself then it's not a good photograph. What do you think? What's the old joke about Internet Forums.?........... A guy on a forum, posts a picture of a cup of coffee, and a 275 page argument erupts.;) I get your meaning. Yes, it is EASY for the narration to be over-done. Unless the photo is "Iconic".....a "little" bit of narration can be very helpful to increase the general interest of the picture. I think it is more a case of too much explaining. The photo is no better or worse because of the narration. It is not the fault of the photo, if the people charged with displaying it "do wrong". Good Luck wit the ensuing melodrama. :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moving On Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Nothing like the pretentious conversations that surround “art”. Facts of method, time, and place for the sake of context are a different matter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Ingold Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 If a narration of a photograph is bigger than the photo itself then it's not a good photograph. What do you think? Does this mean newspapers should consist of a photos with a credit? I'm inclined to agree that telling a story to explain a photograph is excessive, perhaps narcissistic. Adding photos to illustrate a story is perfectly acceptable, commonplace, and offers endless opportunities. I would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with a geologist, for example, writing a text book with something besides drab B&W photos of rocks accompanied with a ruler or pickaxe. Nature is beautiful! I'm too close to chemistry to illustrate the Clausius-Clapyron equation ;) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 meh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moving On Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Didn’t read it at all, after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanford Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 J u s t t o o l o n g . . .If you could offer a one paragraph summary I would read that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Peri Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Aesthetic Formalism, Moderate Formalism, Anti-Formalism... Who cares. Deep down I know my photography transcends it all...There's no competition. I made it through the first two paragraphs... baloney. Hmm... No, baloney squared... square slices fit better on bread... http://bayouline.com/o2.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moving On Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Balogna Squared is Liverwurst..... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaellinder Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Rashed, the term "narration" has at least two (2) contexts which are relevant to this thread. First, there's the context that seems to be the most prevalent here - verbal or written explanations of a photograph, primarily at an exhibition. Secondly, there's the narration, or story, an image itself contains. The first is something that some people find necessary to attach to an image, perhaps for fear that a viewer may not like or understand it. In my opinion, the second is more worthy of discussion (and probably has been discussed quite often in the Philosophy forum); it is part of the image itself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaellinder Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 So if someone writes a story about something and illustrates it with photos, the writing isn't working? To answer your question, not necessarily. Some readers may not view the pertinent photo(s) as helping them get a better appreciation or understanding of whatever they're reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supriyo Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Extreme formalism - you see it, you like it. Lines, curves, shades, color combinations, sequence of notes and beats, anything thats perceivable through senses. Thats all there is to appreciate art. Anti-formalism - The lines, curves shades etc cannot determine the merit of an artwork. The history, context, one's experience, knowledge of the artist/school of art determine one's appreciation of the artwork. Moderate formalism - Some aspects of art are formal, i.e. visually or sonically pleasing without any context, others depend on knowledge, taste, history etc. It doesn't take much to realize that most of us are in the moderate formalism camp. If a narration of a photograph is bigger than the photo itself then it's not a good photograph. What do you think? The question shouldn't be whether the narration is big or small. The question really is, whether you need to read it in full before you say, 'OK, now I get what's going on'. I think, some people can appreciate certain artworks without any narrative, or the narrative is already in their heads. Others need to read about it to better appreciate it. There's nothing wrong about either approach, and doesn't always determine the quality of art. Imagine an urinal being displayed in an art museum without any narration. Would you even consider it a piece of art? Now, what if the narration is already in your head, where you are familiar with dadaism and thoughts related to it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spearhead Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 To answer your question, not necessarily. Some readers may not view the pertinent photo(s) as helping them get a better appreciation or understanding of whatever they're reading. Then that works both ways, for photos and for writing. 1 Music and Portraits Blog: Life in Portugal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles_stobbs3 Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 I think it depends on what audience you're writing for. A photo on photonet might be appreciated with a more detailed description of technique than a photo in a museum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uhooru Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 Why would anyone think there's an answer to the OP's question other then "it depends"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moving On Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 did you ever see a picture with legs All the time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanford Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 In a gallery yesterday I saw a portrait photo by Martha Casanave. I remarked on a particular aspect I found interesting. The gallery owner told me my remarks were understandable considering the subject and story behind the photo. It occurs to me that when some buys a fine art photo and hangs it on their wall, they WANT the story behind it, if just to pass on to the next admirer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Herbert Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 To my mind an engaging photo can stand all alone without words or narrative. To my mind an engaging photo can stand alone regardless of 10,000 words of narrative. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Vongries Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 IMO - No quantity of verbal / textual obfuscation can redeem a bad photo. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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