Earlier this week I posted a photo and asked what people thought the story was. I wasn't feeling well, the result of an "airliner cold," but I thought some banter about a light-hearted photo might perk me up. Well, let me tell you, in short order someone posted a rather splenetic response, informing me that photos don't tell stories. Not wanting to throw cold water on the conversation, I responded that I didn't agree but the person was entitled to his opinion.

Not good enough! The writer wrote back, citing sources and broadening his argument in an attempt to completely discredit the notion that a photo could tell a story. As I said, I wasn't feeling well, so I wrote it off as the rantings of some sparrow-fart (a nod to Kurt Vonnegut for that descriptor) and tried to put it behind me.

But it nagged at me. I thought of the photo of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square at the end of WWII, the Vietnamese girl running naked with festering burns caused by napalm, the recent photo of the Syrian child sitting bloodied and dazed in an ambulance. (I'm betting that every one of you knows exactly what photos I've just listed.) And I asked myself, "If those images aren't telling a story, then why have they become iconic?"

Then, on Tuesday evening, I attended my camera club meeting, and half of the meeting was dedicated to a "member critique," in which a panel of three of our better photographers sat and commented on images that members had submitted for evaluation. It's a really nice event, and everyone learns from it, whether they agree or disagree with the comments. And it happened: over and over, the panel members included an assessment of the photos' story-telling quality. Over and over, I heard, "This image tells a (You insert the adjective) story." Over and over, the panel members alluded to story telling as a normal and crucial element of their evaluation.

So here's my question--I know, I know, it's about time I got to my question--Do you think photos tell stories? Obviously, I do. Obviously, at least one person doesn't. What do you think?

Earlier this week I posted a photo and asked what people thought the story was. I wasn't feeling well, the result of an "airliner cold," but I thought some banter about a light-hearted photo might perk me up. Well, let me tell you, in short order someone posted a rather splenetic response, informing me that photos don't tell stories. Not wanting to throw cold water on the conversation, I responded that I didn't agree but the person was entitled to his opinion.

Not good enough! The writer wrote back, citing sources and broadening his argument in an attempt to completely discredit the notion that a photo could tell a story. As I said, I wasn't feeling well, so I wrote it off as the rantings of some sparrow-fart (a nod to Kurt Vonnegut for that descriptor) and tried to put it behind me.

But it nagged at me. I thought of the photo of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square at the end of WWII, the Vietnamese girl running naked with festering burns caused by napalm, the recent photo of the Syrian child sitting bloodied and dazed in an ambulance. (I'm betting that every one of you knows exactly what photos I've just listed.) And I asked myself, "If those images aren't telling a story, then why have they become iconic?"

Then, on Tuesday evening, I attended my camera club meeting, and half of the meeting was dedicated to a "member critique," in which a panel of three of our better photographers sat and commented on images that members had submitted for evaluation. It's a really nice event, and everyone learns from it, whether they agree or disagree with the comments. And it happened: over and over, the panel members included an assessment of the photos' story-telling quality. Over and over, I heard, "This image tells a (You insert the adjective) story." Over and over, the panel members alluded to story telling as a normal and crucial element of their evaluation.

So here's my question--I know, I know, it's about time I got to my question--Do you think photos tell stories? Obviously, I do. Obviously, at least one person doesn't. What do you think?

Of course you are 100% correct.

Isn't it interesting that the two chimps who claim otherwise are also terrible photographers? Wrongy keeps starting threads to complain about jpeg shooters. No wonder he can't see a story in a picture

I couldn't for the life of me come up with a reason to embarrass myself by starting such a stupid topic. I guess he figured out another way to get attention. That right there should tell people that this guy is just a silly no talent wannabe. I mean he posts about his jpegs while looking for shots to sell and is sorry that he didn't start shooting raw sooner? Lol!!!! Honestly?

Several years ago I took, and gave as a gift to friends, some photos I had taken of beach scenes near their home. The next time I visited, the photos were hanging in their family room and I asked if their was a reason they put them in the order they had chosen. My question took them by surprise and they told me they hung them so they would be viewed so as to tell the story I'd intended. I had no such intention when I took the photos but the story they "saw" made sense.
So is it in the intent of the photographer or is it in the eye...the mind...the heart...the soul...of the beholder wherein the story lies?

Earlier this week I posted a photo and asked what people thought the story was. I wasn't feeling well, the result of an "airliner cold," but I thought some banter about a light-hearted photo might perk me up. Well, let me tell you, in short order someone posted a rather splenetic response, informing me that photos don't tell stories. Not wanting to throw cold water on the conversation, I responded that I didn't agree but the person was entitled to his opinion.

Not good enough! The writer wrote back, citing sources and broadening his argument in an attempt to completely discredit the notion that a photo could tell a story. As I said, I wasn't feeling well, so I wrote it off as the rantings of some sparrow-fart (a nod to Kurt Vonnegut for that descriptor) and tried to put it behind me.

But it nagged at me. I thought of the photo of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square at the end of WWII, the Vietnamese girl running naked with festering burns caused by napalm, the recent photo of the Syrian child sitting bloodied and dazed in an ambulance. (I'm betting that every one of you knows exactly what photos I've just listed.) And I asked myself, "If those images aren't telling a story, then why have they become iconic?"

Then, on Tuesday evening, I attended my camera club meeting, and half of the meeting was dedicated to a "member critique," in which a panel of three of our better photographers sat and commented on images that members had submitted for evaluation. It's a really nice event, and everyone learns from it, whether they agree or disagree with the comments. And it happened: over and over, the panel members included an assessment of the photos' story-telling quality. Over and over, I heard, "This image tells a (You insert the adjective) story." Over and over, the panel members alluded to story telling as a normal and crucial element of their evaluation.

So here's my question--I know, I know, it's about time I got to my question--Do you think photos tell stories? Obviously, I do. Obviously, at least one person doesn't. What do you think?

Earlier this week I posted a photo and asked what people thought the story was. I wasn't feeling well, the result of an "airliner cold," but I thought some banter about a light-hearted photo might perk me up. Well, let me tell you, in short order someone posted a rather splenetic response, informing me that photos don't tell stories. Not wanting to throw cold water on the conversation, I responded that I didn't agree but the person was entitled to his opinion.

Not good enough! The writer wrote back, citing sources and broadening his argument in an attempt to completely discredit the notion that a photo could tell a story. As I said, I wasn't feeling well, so I wrote it off as the rantings of some sparrow-fart (a nod to Kurt Vonnegut for that descriptor) and tried to put it behind me.

But it nagged at me. I thought of the photo of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square at the end of WWII, the Vietnamese girl running naked with festering burns caused by napalm, the recent photo of the Syrian child sitting bloodied and dazed in an ambulance. (I'm betting that every one of you knows exactly what photos I've just listed.) And I asked myself, "If those images aren't telling a story, then why have they become iconic?"

Then, on Tuesday evening, I attended my camera club meeting, and half of the meeting was dedicated to a "member critique," in which a panel of three of our better photographers sat and commented on images that members had submitted for evaluation. It's a really nice event, and everyone learns from it, whether they agree or disagree with the comments. And it happened: over and over, the panel members included an assessment of the photos' story-telling quality. Over and over, I heard, "This image tells a (You insert the adjective) story." Over and over, the panel members alluded to story telling as a normal and crucial element of their evaluation.

So here's my question--I know, I know, it's about time I got to my question--Do you think photos tell stories? Obviously, I do. Obviously, at least one person doesn't. What do you think?

Earlier this week I posted a photo and asked what people thought the story was. I wasn't feeling well, the result of an "airliner cold," but I thought some banter about a light-hearted photo might perk me up. Well, let me tell you, in short order someone posted a rather splenetic response, informing me that photos don't tell stories. Not wanting to throw cold water on the conversation, I responded that I didn't agree but the person was entitled to his opinion.

Not good enough! The writer wrote back, citing sources and broadening his argument in an attempt to completely discredit the notion that a photo could tell a story. As I said, I wasn't feeling well, so I wrote it off as the rantings of some sparrow-fart (a nod to Kurt Vonnegut for that descriptor) and tried to put it behind me.

But it nagged at me. I thought of the photo of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square at the end of WWII, the Vietnamese girl running naked with festering burns caused by napalm, the recent photo of the Syrian child sitting bloodied and dazed in an ambulance. (I'm betting that every one of you knows exactly what photos I've just listed.) And I asked myself, "If those images aren't telling a story, then why have they become iconic?"

Then, on Tuesday evening, I attended my camera club meeting, and half of the meeting was dedicated to a "member critique," in which a panel of three of our better photographers sat and commented on images that members had submitted for evaluation. It's a really nice event, and everyone learns from it, whether they agree or disagree with the comments. And it happened: over and over, the panel members included an assessment of the photos' story-telling quality. Over and over, I heard, "This image tells a (You insert the adjective) story." Over and over, the panel members alluded to story telling as a normal and crucial element of their evaluation.

So here's my question--I know, I know, it's about time I got to my question--Do you think photos tell stories? Obviously, I do. Obviously, at least one person doesn't. What do you think?