As the cliché goes, a picture can ‘paint a thousand words’. But isn’t the entire purpose of a picture to do away with words altogether? They don’t use words - they illustrate, not describe.
Photographs specifically, are a moment in time capturing light and colour and possibly movement shown in a blur, or halted in a fast shutter speed dead stop. But one image alone cannot give you a picture of a whole human being, no matter how many words it may allegedly replace. That’s why in a whole feature spread of an interview plus photoshoot with a famous actor or singer there are a number of photos, so that you get to see the interviewee in different moods, poses or outfits (or all three).
I have quite a mini-library style archive of glossy magazines and still love poring over images and interviews with people I find creatively interesting. Nonetheless, I appreciate the pitfalls of the fashion shoot concept and in particular, how women are presented and/or judged for their looks even when their work is all about how they sound or tell stories. My fascination with some of the pictures in magazines is actually due to the lighting or colours just as much as the outfits or expression in the model’s face.
In my recent photoshoot, I was reminded of the fun of making a music video, when an element of dance or more fluid movement can come into play. And when the sunlight streams in or seemingly joins in with the dance, it gets really fun. (Although not for the photographer, who’s desperately trying to adjust to the extra light…) I took this selfie on my phone just after finishing our shoot and while still in a free and frolicsome mood…
