[Murfy]

A little background: I enter juried art shows, for fun, sometimes I win a little something, but I like doing it even if I don't get accepted.

Recently I have come across a few that have asked for a story behind the photo I have entered. I can see that for photojournalism, or maybe a unique landscape, but for a local show that has a theme? not sure what to say....do you shot with a story in mind? I saw a bee on a flower, it was pretty, I took a photo. end of story.
Am I missing what they are asking for?

[Nick Siebers]

Not all the photos I take have stories, but the ones I like best generally do. Here's one from 2011:



What I said about it at the time: "This might be my fav pic I have taken. My older daughter has only rarely shown physical affection toward my younger. I was, and remain, thrilled, when I saw her put her arm around her."

(I wouldn't submit the above to a contest, I recognize its value is higher to me than it would be to anyone else.)

[FantasticMrFox]

Every photo has a story behind it. It can be minimal or more elaborate. I can give a story for every single image in my portfolio (pick one to test me ), some are pretty interesting and elaborate, others are more simple.

If you have a lot of similar shots of one occasion, it will be very difficult to find a new (meaningful) story or angle on every single frame though.

[jatrax]

do your photos have stories behind them?

The good ones do. At a gallery recently I was talking with a oil painter and discussing her work and mine. Our conclusion was that for both of us our best work was images that told a story.

[kiwi_jono]

Most of my images don't have a particular story around them but there are exceptions.
Take this one:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwi_jono/5956560966

The Christchurch Earthquakes (particularly the Feb 2012 "aftershock" where I was in town at the time) have left a permanent impression on me. Its hard to describe unless you have experienced something like this, as over a short time you get experience terror, worry, horror and get to relive it all with the ongoing aftershocks. We were very lucky, none of our family or work team were injured but it certainly was all evident around us.

Anyway this photo brings memories flooding back for me (as much as the photos I took in town). As I noted at the time:
"This photo is overlooking McCormacks bay out across the city with the Southern Alps as a backdrop.
There is still a strong effect from the July 11, 2011 Volcanic erruption (Puyehue) in Chile. Ash made it over to New Zealand causing very strong colours at sunset. The colours have not been artificially changed and its not a mash up.
The parts of the city (and local area) that are not lit up tell the story of earthquake damage.
The effects of liquefaction can still be seen in the water as well."

[derekkite]

The story could be why you took it. Where you were, etc. How many times did you return to the same place to capture the perfect light, perfect clouds, texture on the water? Or how you happened upon an amazing scene, your reaction seeing it and capturing it?

I think the goal is to help photographers to elicit some emotion or feeling with their shots. Preferably the shot provides everything, but it takes enormous work and skill to reach that point. You have to start with what you want to convey.

It is said of other artistic endeavors that first you learn the mechanics of a skill, then master the craft. After that point you can start saying something with it. The same can be done with photography. It isn't necessary that it be complex or even meaningful; simply catching the eye, making people look twice, maybe a bit of surprise as they look closer, or a feeling of awe, anxiety, hopelessness (easy, that is why ruins attract photographers), hopefulness, whatever.

[Murfy]

The story could be why you took it. Where you were, etc. How many times did you return to the same place to capture the perfect light, perfect clouds, texture on the water? Or how you happened upon an amazing scene, your reaction seeing it and capturing it?

I think the goal is to help photographers to elicit some emotion or feeling with their shots. Preferably the shot provides everything, but it takes enormous work and skill to reach that point. You have to start with what you want to convey.

It is said of other artistic endeavors that first you learn the mechanics of a skill, then master the craft. After that point you can start saying something with it. The same can be done with photography. It isn't necessary that it be complex or even meaningful; simply catching the eye, making people look twice, maybe a bit of surprise as they look closer, or a feeling of awe, anxiety, hopelessness (easy, that is why ruins attract photographers), hopefulness, whatever.

I agree, and some of my photos do have stories, they are personal to me and I could probably give a general overview of my style a bit. But one time I took a photo, like I mentioned, of a bee on a flower. I basically was testing a manual lens to see what it looked like. The photo came out really neat so I submitted it, it won honorable mention. I was asked to discuss it, and I hated to say, well, I was just testing the ability to use a manual lens on my camera. I was at a loss for words.

I guess maybe I have story or a thought but I can't put it into words? I guess it would be more why I processed the photo the way I did rather than why I took the photo? I am really asking sincerely because I feel uncomfortable answering because I know the motive was purely testing the lens, and it was right there, but I did put some effort into processing it differently.

[derekkite]

I agree, and some of my photos do have stories, they are personal to me and I could probably give a general overview of my style a bit. But one time I took a photo, like I mentioned, of a bee on a flower. I basically was testing a manual lens to see what it looked like. The photo came out really neat so I submitted it, it won honorable mention. I was asked to discuss it, and I hated to say, well, I was just testing the ability to use a manual lens on my camera. I was at a loss for words.

I guess maybe I have story or a thought but I can't put it into words? I guess it would be more why I processed the photo the way I did rather than why I took the photo? I am really asking sincerely because I feel uncomfortable answering because I know the motive was purely testing the lens, and it was right there, but I did put some effort into processing it differently.

Artistic license is part of the artistic endeavor.

[c.a.m]

I could tell a story for perhaps about half of my photos.

However, most photos portray context and environment, which are worthy of interpretation or description. Take Nick's picture in post #2 (if I may). Even not knowing Nick's own personal meaning and story (thanks for sharing), there's a lot of information in the picture. The subject of the picture - two young children, perhaps siblings, perhaps best friends, are walking closely in a snowy scene. The older one appears animated, perhaps telling something to the younger. We wonder what they're talking about (maybe Ricoh's upcoming FF? ). They're both dressed warmly: Someone is taking good care of them. But look closer. The neighbourhood seems peaceful, secure, safe. The city has plowed the walkway well and wide; there's good city management going on. There's a park in the picture, there are facilities for recreation. And the snow - there's definitely a story of interest to someone in another part of world who has never experienced this strange white stuff.

Anyways, stories or interpretation: there is always something interesting to say about our pictures.

- Craig

[ramseybuckeye]

A little background: I enter juried art shows, for fun, sometimes I win a little something, but I like doing it even if I don't get accepted.

Recently I have come across a few that have asked for a story behind the photo I have entered. I can see that for photojournalism, or maybe a unique landscape, but for a local show that has a theme? not sure what to say....do you shot with a story in mind? I saw a bee on a flower, it was pretty, I took a photo. end of story.
Am I missing what they are asking for?

I think you are over thinking it. There's at least a simple story to every photo worth showing, even if the story is how or why you took the photo. Something made you take the photo, maybe the scene moved you, maybe you liked the colors, maybe something caught your eye but you don't know why. Even if you took a photo by accident there is a story there.

[gifthorse]

I'm going with ramseybuckeye. What does the image mean to you? Why did you select that particular image to submit? Even if you accidentally triggered the shutter release, that in itself is a story. "I was taking the camera to the repair shop and I slipped and the camera went off when it hit the ground and I was amused by the perfect blah, blah, blah.

[Murfy]

I'm going with ramseybuckeye. What does the image mean to you? Why did you select that particular image to submit? Even if you accidentally triggered the shutter release, that in itself is a story. "I was taking the camera to the repair shop and I slipped and the camera went off when it hit the ground and I was amused by the perfect blah, blah, blah.

thanks for the thoughtful responses. I guess I tend to start overthinking things, thinking I needed a deep, thought provoking story for each image

[pepperberry farm]

even if I am a complete outsider on the picture I just snapped, something there caught my eye and moved me enough to bring the camera up, compose, focus, and shoot...

could have been a spray of color, an expression on a face, a texture I found intriguing.. something that simple...

or it could be such a moving moment in my life, something so utterly profound that I may have trouble finding words, hence the photograph...

all them have a story, just not all of them are writ large...

[BrianR]

Yes, all my photos have stories behind them, at least all the ones I figure are worth sharing definitely will have stories. If you stand still in front of one long enough and look remotely receptive, you'll hear it. I'll find it interesting, which is no guarantee you will, so you should have an escape clause ready.

I may talk about the actual subject (what about it I found interesting, how long I've been watching this type of life form, where I found it, etc.), or what it's doing, I may talk about how I was able to get a cooperative subject, I may talk about something personal that happened to me while out shooting that connected me to the image, and if prodded I may talk about the technical camera dorkery behind it. But I will talk. Rest assured I will talk.

And if you have a photo you are keen on, and want to talk about, I'll listen. Absolutely. The camera dorkery stuff being the most likely bits to put me asleep (unless it's something really novel or you're talking about a personal achievement, like mastering a manual focus lens), but just about anything else about an image you found interesting I'm all in. I enjoy reading or hearing about what motivates other photographers, and hearing these little personal stories about what their image means to them is much more interesting than just looking at pretty pictures.

[IgorZ]

perhaps there is a difference between the story of the picture and a reflection on it. For example, recently we went on a trip and found ourselves in a small square tucked away between several quaint little shops. I took pictures of reflections of my family in shop windows. That's the story. When I look at these pictures, I think about the fragility of life and the little time we have here. There was a moment - just a reflection on a thin piece of glass, and now it's gone forever... Perhaps a bit dramatic, but I think that's what they are after. Something that may speak to others who may not be interested in what I was doing that particular morning or why I went to that particular village.