Just like a good piece of literature tells a story, so does a good photograph.
All the elements of art within an image do not have to add to a story but none should take away from it. The more elements you have enforcing the story the better your story will be conveyed. For example, take this photograph of a jumping spider peeking out from behind a small leaf. The story is all about how even the smallest creatures like this jumping spider can be curious and beautiful in its natural environment. Think twice before you squish a spider! You could be ending a fascinating creature's life.
Example Photograph
Analysis
Color: The green background and plants provide information about the habitat of this jumping spider. The viewer can deduce that this spider lives in the forest where there are green plants. As simple as that may sound, this extra knowledge can go a long way. Imagine if the background is white. The white background tells the viewer nothing about the habitat of the spider and may even potentially take away from the photograph by giving it a studio feel. The goal of this image is to bring the viewer to the spider's world and without the proper color, there is a lack of information thus making the story less impactful. The contrast of the green background against the red spider also makes the spider pop and become a clear focal point. Since the spider is the intended subject of the image, this is crucial.
Value: Value is the difference between lights and darks in colors and tones. Lighting is fairly simple in this example photograph which makes value less significant in the overall story but it still plays a role. The stem of the plant has value because the top of the stem is brighter than the bottom. Does this add to the story of the jumping spider? Not really, but it provides a more natural feel because the sun naturally provides top lighting. If this image was evenly lit from all sides with no shadows, an unnatural feeling could be conveyed. This can potentially take away from the photograph's impact and story which is all about the curious spider in its natural environment. There are also no harsh shadows in this image which is important because harsh shadows does not convey the beauty of this fuzzy, soft spider on this fuzzy plant. The softer diffused light source also provides a greater feel of dimension and form (another element of art) because the viewer is able to see how the light bends around the subject.
Shape: Shape plays a role in the subject of this photograph. Because the black and red spider stands out against the green background, the spider's shape can be distinguished. Being able to see the spider's shape provides information about what this tiny creature looks like. This photograph definitely does not utilize shape nearly as much as other photographs. Remember that not all elements must add to the story but rather none should take away from it. There are no shapes in this example image that takes away from the subject and story. If there was a bright triangular leaf at the bottom of the image this may be distracting and draw the viewer away from the spider. A triangular leaf would add nothing to the story of this jumping spider in its natural environment.
Space: This image has space or a sense of depth because the background is very out of focus and the spider is sharp in the plane of focus. The out of focus background adds to the story because it helps isolate the subject which is the spider. There is also negative space to the right of the spider. This negative space works because of balance and visual weight, which is discussed in the Balance Section, or more simply because of the rule of thirds and the rule of space.
Texture: There are little hairs on both the leaf and the spider which creates a soft and fuzzy texture. This soft and fuzzy texture adds to the story because it provides information about the spider's habitat of potentially fuzzy plants along with information about the spider itself. The soft feeling may potentially convey a non-threatening feel which further adds to the story and may allow the viewer to look at spiders in a different way.
Form: As mentioned under Value, the plant stem has form. This form provides a feel of three dimensional rather than just two-dimensional shape. The three-dimensional shape provides a more realistic feel because we see in three dimension.
Line: The plant stem and leaves create line in this image. Horizontal lines imply peace and rest while diagonal lines imply movement. This image has both which may create a small juxtaposition. The fact that the spider is diagonal may imply that it is active which provides further information on the personality of the spider. The fact that it is peeking from behind the leaf also implies that it is shy but curious. Line does not play a significant role in this image but it does imply some small personality trait of the spider.
Another Way
There is another quicker way that one can gauge story within a photograph. This method involves identifying three objects in a photogaph that carry the most amount of visual weight. Pull up the image that you would like to analyze. Close your eyes for a few seconds and re-open them with the photograph still in front of you. Take note as to where your eyes travel to first, second, and third. These are often the three objects in an image that carry the most visual weight. After you have identified these top three objects, the next step is to make sure all of them contribute in telling your intended story. The first thing your eyes go to should be the subject of the story/the most important part. The second object that your eyes go to should be the second most important part of the story. And of course the third object your eye go to should be the third most important part of the story.
Take this example photograph of a girl in a hurry. My intended story here is that this girl has a strong urge to get away. For what reason? That is up to the viewer. The map in her purse may suggest that she is taking a trip somewhere that is unfamiliar or that she may be pursuing a dream.
Where My Eyes Go:
First: My eyes dart to the girls face. This is my intended subject of the story. All the other objects revolve around this girl.
Second: My eyes travel to the orange and blue flowing scarf. This is the second most important object in the photograph because the wavy blur of the scarf implies that the girl is moving fast and in a hurry.
Third: My eyes travel to the map sticking out of her purse. This is a great piece of information in telling the story of this girl because the map implies that she is going somwhere she is not familiar with. Maybe even taking a risk.
There are many things that I could have done to improve this story. For example, the girl's face does not convey any expression that adds to the story of her running away. This is a major issue because this is the first thing that my eyes travel to which lends it to great importance. I believe that if I had a background that was maybe a train station, a crowded city, or even a side of an old building, my eyes would travel there before traveling to the map in the purse. This background object has the potential to provide much more information about the story while providing more visually appealing elements of art such as color and shape. The grey background may even take away from the story by giving it an unnatural studio feel.
In this case, it may be useful to estimate a numerical unit for story in these top three objects.
SU = Story Units
5 SU is the best possible imagined outcome and connection to the story of the image. 0 SU means that this object neither adds to nor detracts from the story. -5 SU is the worst possible imagined outcome and connection to the story of the image.
Re-Analyzed Image With The SU Unit:
Where My Eyes Go:
First: My eyes dart to the girls face. I will rate my first object that my eyes go to as -1 SU because the girl's expression does not add anything to the story. Since this is the first object my eye saw, I further lessened the SU.
Second: My eyes travel to the orange and blue flowing scarf. I rate this object 4 SU. Not only are the contrasting colors visually appealing but the wavy blur strongly implies movement which connects with the overall story extremely well.
Third: My eyes travel to the map sticking out of her purse. I rate this object 3 SU because the map is clearly shown but does not detract from the subject. I think that the map could have been more unique and maybe crumpled a little bit to provide more character which is why I did not give this object 4 SU.
Conclusion:
I had a total of 6 SU. The maximum possible amount is 15 giving me 6/15 SU. Different people will have different tolerances for the amount of SU that makes an impactful story. For example, some people may think that 6 SU is enough for an impactful story others may think that you need at least 10 SU in order to create an impactful story. The advantage of the story unit is to provide a more concrete way of analyzing story. Instead of saying that a story in a photogrpah is all right but could be better, one can say that the story is 9/15 SU and explain how they reached that number.