Photo Storytelling
D’Arcy Norman captured a moment at the Northern Voice Tiki Party that, when combined with the knowledge I received during the conference, changed the way I think about photography and storytelling. I have always considered my photos a small capture of a moment, usually the moment after something happens, but never considered the bigger concept of all the stories in a photo.
When I first saw this photo, I was just glad it wasn’t a close up. When I read the comment before mine, I became more interested in the composition. Then I began to reflect on the moment. The more time I spend with the photo, the bigger the story grows. There’s an intimacy between the photographer and subject, even when the subject is unaware of being photographed. The photographer must release cultural and societal proprieties and accept the consequences of forever capturing something for which he or she may be unaware.
This is the beginning of the story. I’m sorry to bring out the dreaded bullet points, but I’ve got a sick kid at home and no time to compose the narrative.
- That’s me in the center. He’s captured the essence of “Jen.” I’m intentionally closed off behind the table, jumping into my little online world instead of socializing with the real people. I’m standing right behind the prizes, but didn’t pick up a raffle ticket because I don’t think I deserve good things. There’s a beautiful nude painting behind me, but I cover myself and wear black, uncomfortable with my own self image, and not creative enough to match colors. I’m still, while the world rushes around me. Maybe I am invisible.
- There are people in that little phone! I’m reading messages from home and discovering the baby went to sleep without his mommy. They are part of the story.
- Nancy White is on the floor, perfectly comfortable with who she is and what she wants. She’s checking out the prizes and looking for chocolate.
- There’s a door labeled, “Men,” and I spent two days with men who didn’t treat me like I was just a girl. Also, when we were sitting at the table left of the door, I could see the men going in and out, and that was more intimacy than I needed.
- The faces around me are a blur. Typical. I have the hardest time remembering names and matching them with faces.
- I didn’t notice the candle on the short wall until later when I leaned on the wall and almost set my hair on fire.
- The warm glow is something D’Arcy captured in all his photos during the social parts of the conference. If you line up the conference photos and the social photos side by side, it is like recognizing an aura.
- This photo was captured at the exact moment I became aware of the camera pointing at me. One second earlier or later and the meaning would be completely different.
I don’t know the others in the photo, but would love to know if they feel the story too. And I wonder if D’Arcy sees a story when he looks back. Thanks for capturing something so rare and fleeting.
February 26th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
wow, jen. thanks for sharing the story behind the picture! I’ve been so conditioned to having “intimate” have scary implications (invading privacy, crossing lines, sexual connotations, etc…) and am so glad/relieved to know that you grokked intimacy in the real sense of “being there together”.
To be honest, I did shoot a few frames before and after this, but on this one frame, your face lit up. The smile peeks out a bit, your eyes lit up a bit. The aura became visible. I just knew that you had received a message from home (but didn’t know if it was about the baby, or your husband - just that you were looking happy about things back home). I deleted the other frames because they didn’t have the same magic spark.
I learned that we share the same shy/social sides - so painfully shy in IRL situations, and yet apparently downright extroverted online. I’m still mulling over what that means, since it so obviously applies to myself as well.
thanks again for adding your side of the story. I love the photo (and you) more than ever now.
February 26th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Jen, it has taken me nearly 50 years to get this comfortable in my skin and believe me, I’m still working on it. Part of the magic is inside, but part is outside - the community gathered at NV made the outside part easy.
The chocolate part… well, you know! But actually I was hiding behind the table, not checking out the prizes. I’m either an extroverted introvert or an introverted extrovert. I can do it only so much, then I need to crawl back into my little cave.
February 26th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Oh, and in case it gets misconstrued - I didn’t use that particular men’s room. much too close to the party. Something about fouling one’s own nest… I went upstairs to use the other facilities…
February 26th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
You took so much from this photo that it makes me look at photo taking in a whole new light. Our family often jokes about ruining retinas with the amount of flashes that go off at any family gathering, but I have often said that especially with digital cameras, we should really look for the gems and keep them. I will be looking for the stories in my photos from now on. Thanks for sharing this story.
February 27th, 2008 at 6:41 am
I love hearing the rest of the story. I got something else entirely from this picture. Some matched and some didn’t. It’s just that some photographs are merely replications of a situation, while some are quite literally freezing a moment in time. This picture is one of the latter.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Wow, this is inspirational! I love how you interpreted the essence of the photo. Looking at it again in a whole other light. Thank you for sharing this with us.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:16 am
And of course, there’s even more backstory with the whole web of Twitter and blog relationships going back … how long?
February 28th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Corrie, you’re right! There is even more to the story. I don’t remember when I started following D’Arcy, but I do remember when he set his Twitter account to private! I got an irritating tweet every time he posted, telling me his posts were private and I had to request to follow. I tracked down his blog and sent him a note saying I didn’t care if he didn’t follow me, I was just sick of the obnoxious posts. I think he fixed it and I was able to follow him, but he still didn’t follow me. I think he’s only been following me a few months, but didn’t read my blog.
March 10th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
This post and comments made me smile! It is neat to see such authentic sharing - thinking of the revelations when both visual and textual/conversational literacies are explored…thanks for sharing!