📸 Shifting the lens 📸

When capturing photos from an event, I don’t often get the chance to provide important context as to why these photos are valuable visual assets.

Folks are left to form their own conclusions, which, in many cases, ignites their bias towards their appearance to conclude whether or not the photo is valuable. And what happens is that a lot of opportunities for compelling visual storytelling is tossed out.

I recently had a chance to have a 1:1 conversation with an event participant, Andrea Ferry, about her photos taken during an event.

Here’s what she had to say about that conversation:

“As I was previewing the photos from Day 1 with John, my internal vanity ran amuck viewing the moments captured.

Internally, the viewpoint was a woman who hasn’t slept well in months, who hasn’t made her health a priority, whose facial expressions are never hidden as hard as she tries and who has sass written all over her face. Why does everyone else look flawless and I look like I’m going to fight the world?

Then a true professional entered the picture.

He asked me a series of questions as we viewed the photo. ‘What emotions were you experiencing in that moment, etc.’

He explained very eloquently that it is not so much the ‘face value’ of the photo, it’s the emotion of the picture that is captured that tells the story.

The moment he captured was my determination, passion and fight for more impactful conversations in all areas of our lives. Once words are said, they often can’t be taken back. They can empower or disempower us.

When was the last time someone shared cold, hard honesty with you and it was delivered so poetically it resonated as a learning moment instead of feeling like getting punched in the gut?

The reason John could deliver such magic is because he is an expert in his field at capturing moments.

I can never look at a photo the same again after this conversation - I can never unknow what I now know.

This post is to encourage you to give yourself some grace in the moments that matter.”

Long story short, before you immediately hit DELETE on a photo you think captures you in an unflattering position, think more critically about the value of that photo beyond the mere vanity of it.

You might find yourself stumbling on visual storytelling gold.