Photography: The visual voice in action

Photography—The visual voice

Photography, more than ever before, is at our fingertips; it gives us a personal and a universal voice.

Spread between the staged, formal, image to the conversational mobile ‘phone snapshot, the photograph often speaks more quickly than words. An image is definitely swifter than a written description. Now that cameras are built with still-image, moving-image, sound and connectivity capabilities and mobile ‘phones have the added bonus of making technical decisions on our behalf, we are all in the perfect setting for exploring picture-making. We can choose to make it as simple or complex as we wish to.

The key to taking successful photographs is to know what you want to take pictures of; to ask yourself what your subject is? Having an idea of what you want to say, exploring that area of interest and gradually refining it through making work will deliver images that are not only satisfying to you but can give you a visual voice in the eyes of those around you. 

Whether the work that you wish to produce is for personal use, to satisfy educational needs or requirements or as the start of a professional career portfolio, the key is to make a start with whatever means, i.e. camera or ‘phone, you have access to.

Don’t feel hampered by lack of confidence before making images. Make them, review them, edit them and improve your visual language by using the work that you have as a springboard to further ideas and image-making.

Make your photography an immersive experience.