Pemberton Press
A perspective on emotion in visual story telling
“The soul can not think without a picture” – Aristotle
Life is a story of people and our environment, a journey filled with emotions. Our existence is coloured by emotion, it is at the heart of our very being.
The use of visual communication in story telling which evokes emotions is one of the most powerful tools in the world. Not many people do this, but when you really look at someone, anyone, there is a story there, which can be enriching and enlightening.Everyone has a presence about them, and translating that presence into visual communication is the art. It’s so more than just a stream of pictures.
We are stimulated visually in so many ways. Whether it is pleasing to the eye or other, the communication should be thought provoking. Through emotion, we can relate to an experience that can move us in any direction.
We’ve all seen big budget marketing campaigns where the director appears to have vacated this world and gone off on a tangent to illustrate their creative prowess. Whilst technically and visually impressive, one could be forgiven for not actually recalling the product or messages a day later! If it doesn’t connect you won’t retain it in your emotional bank of life experiences, resulting in a complete failure of the deliverable. A lasting experience comes through providing people the opportunity to see the real you.
Photography of an environment and its contents is not an exact science and nor should it be. Life is not clinical – it has wrinkles.
What we see in others, and what others see in us can touch our souls. And if you find it doesn’t, then remember the words of Aristotle…..get a picture to get you started.
Craig Hardiman, Director of Photography
