The Importance of Context in Photography
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One should ask if others will appreciate and understand your image without knowing the context in which you shot it.
Context is what was going on, where you were, who was with you, what you were doing and everything else surrounding the creation of the image — but which won't be in the image unless you make sure to show it.
While you know what you were doing and feeling when you shot it, no one else will unless you go out of your way to ensure that whatever's critical to understanding the image is actually in the image.
When shown to others who don't know you, you need to ensure that your image can stand on its own, without needing any explanation as to what's happening. This is a mistake many newcomers make; it's not that strangers don't appreciate you; it's that they cant possibly understand an image unless everything it needs to make sense is in the image itself.
Great works capture what you were feeling so others who see the image feel the same thing, without having to have been there. Otherwise no one has any clue what was going on or what you were thinking when you made the image — unless you ensure that the image contains those clues.
Great images have everything they need to be enjoyed by everyone, without people having to guess what was going on or why they should appreciate the image. If you need to explain something with a caption or spoken words, next time see what you can do to ensure that's all in the image.
FARTing often helps.
Hope this helps!
Ken
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