One Photo Can Contain a Multitude of Stories
Susan says, “A good presentation is a single, long story, But it should also contain smaller stories that support the key story. Finding images to support a story is challenging. You must begin by understanding the heart of the story that the photo must capture. Here it could be the story of the child, whose tiny hand we barely see, and her ultimate lifelong love affair with the guitar. It could be the story of a woman guitarist whose life was filled with contrast depicted here in her flowing paisley dress, her young child and the macho black electric guitar. Maybe the story is about the relationship between paisley and the early days of the psychedelic rock in the 60s. We could use this photograph to bring life to a presentation about a seminal moment in the life of a musician, or how a woman artist can be (true to) herself in a hard-driving profession, the connection between music and fabric design. Look carefully at photos to find the hidden possibilities.
This is the story as I saw it.
Lucia says, “It’s the story of a moment, a brief encounter in the park. Maybe it will turn out to be a defining moment in this child’s life. Since I was there, I can tell you that the child was enthralled and couldn’t stop touching the guitar. I’m not even sure she was old enough to understand the sound this instrument could make. The strings, the knobs, the shiny lacquered surface were irresistible. I Thought I would need to move fast to capture this moment because I know how fleeting a child’s attention could be. But I had all the time in the world. This kid was too enthralled to move on to other things. And what about the musician? She took the time to allow the child to explore her guitar without getting in the way. She was kind and patient and openly enjoyed the child’s fascination. Whether this turns out to be a defining moment in the child’s life or not doesn’t matter. It was a moment of generosity that must have had an influence on some level. So now you know what really happened at this moment, But what Susan imagined was just as valid. It goes to show that a photo can tell many stories. What do you see?”
