Do you find you're more drawn to images with stories, explanatory captions, or poems that seem to describe the intent, mindset, or idea behind the shot?
Do you tend to describe your own photos with poems, words, and stories?
Some members seem to have talents with both taking photos and providing beautiful descriptions. Sometimes I find myself reading the stories a few times!
I often look at someone's landscape or cityscape and find that I've switched off because there's no info. I know I should be able to appreciate the artist's offering on its own merit,; but I'm not good at abstract painting or abstract music either.
So yes, please. I love to see a bit of description.
I love to see description and the more the better. I do write a description with all my photos but unfortunately it's usually very short and sweet because I don't have the gift of the gab.
I am totally turned off all photos that have no description at all.
I always read the description... i like the emotional attachment you feel when you read it!!
Short and sweet is fine, but a little something is nice :)
i tend to let the photos speak for themselves unless for documentary type photographs which often require some background information
i have to admit that i am the kind of purist who believe if one creates something, it will be best to make sure of that media without relying on another media to help to explain it
like the best music i consider is the type of music that you can appreciate its form, its structure and so forth, any lyrics or concept behind it can become an obstacle...
but this is just my ideal, sometime i think you do need to say something to make the image more interesting to look at
i find it interesting to read the descriptions sometime
I really dig it if someone puts a bit of a story about how they took the photo in question. I don't read the description if it is poetry or lyrics... especially if the words were by someone else.
Depends how much time I have! If someone goes to the effort of writing something I will try and go back later and have a read when I have time.
I put a Nursery Rhyme up in Welsh that went with one of my pics as we had learnt it that day, I have to say though that was really for me to remember it. I usually write a line or two of why I chose the picture or what it signifies/is especially if its relevant to our day/not very clear.
I love the descriptions some members do on here @ellida gives me a lesson on something everyday! I have learnt a lot through photos and the accompanying descriptions quite a few times on here which surprised me at first and I love now
I usually try to add something to mine & I enjoy reading short stories and backgrounds to the photos I look at, simply because a photo itself might be good, what the photo actually means to the photographer can only be explained by words and adds an extra depth to the photo itself.
I usually try to give a little story or as much detail as I can. Some are easier than others. I find like a few others have said. I find myself more interested in the photo with all the little extra details they add. Having said that, sometimes there just isn't enough time or quite simply the photo is just what it is. There is just no way of talking it up =D
I will sometimes write a bit of a description but lately I've been on a kick with just putting a fitting quote. I love viewing and commenting on peoples photos but don't always have time to read essay long descriptions.
I always put a description on mine. I'm doing the 365 for two reasons, to document my year, and to improve my photography. Adding a description is partly for me and partly for anyone that follows me. I like to share the reason why that particular photo was the one that I felt was right for the day, and by the end of the year it will also act as a reminder for me of that day.
I like to read other people's descriptions as well - some photos might be absolutely stunningly beautiful....but part of me always wants to know why that particular shot was so appealing to the photographer.
Most of the times I tend to add a quote and/or some info about how my day is/was.
I remember two of my photos where I took my time and added a longer description,one`s a love story,the other`s a murderer killing someone.Oh,and there`s one with the apocalypse.
But they are kind of embaressing to me,now,so I won`t give any links :) ...
...oh,and I allways put a "soundtrack" in the description,wich is a song that I think fitts the photo.Allthough there are times when I just chose a song in a rush,more often the choosing of the song takes more time then the editing of the photo (sometimes 1 hour or so)...
I do enjoy the photos with descriptions or stories or comments from the photographer more, and I try to write at least a bit with my photos, but I am not mearly as talented at writing (or taking pictures) as most here.
The description, or lack thereof has no affect on my viewing of a photo. I myself am not a word person, so knowing I'm no good at it I stay away from long descriptions.
It's nice to find out a story behind a photo, though, sometimes there can be too much info, or if your not following a person and stumble into the middle of a narrative, it can be quite confusing.
I do like reading about what the photographer was thinking or what set of circumstances caused them to be in position to take a shot, but I wouldn't say I'm more compelled to view a photo with a description.
Sometimes I describe what lead me to take the shot or something about the particular day. Other times, I use poems or song lyrics that I feel fit the shot. On one occasion, I started with the song lyrics and created my shot around those lyrics.
I think it is all about my mood. if it is an eyecatcher i may have time to read a long bit~sometimes I jump on for a minute or 2 sporadically so time is an issue. My own photos, well sometimes a back story or explantion is needed to understand it or make it more meaningful. Sometimes I don't even write a description if it was one of those 'just get it done photos'.
For me, there is usually a story or a reason for the photo so I write a little something (sometimes more, time depending) about the "behind the scenes" of it. I enjoy reading about other photographer's experiences and learning from them as well so I appreciate their explanations, inspirations and stories.
I make up a story to go with every single one of my photos.. although it doesn't really say how I took the photo or why (which would be incredibly boring.. I use absolutely no photographic equipment whatsoever, except the camera on my phone, so 'how I took this photo' would go something like this: I saw an opportunity, found some way of placing my rubber duck in the shot, got my phone out and pressed the shutter button a bazillion times and then picked the best one. ) My descriptions are stories (often much less made-up than you might think) that describe how the duck got there in the first place. After a few people said they liked my descriptions, my dad decided he would give me a different word every day that I had to fit into the writing.. which is now half of the fun of doing the 365 project! I am hoping to make my project into a book at the end of the year, and get it published.
I think it's interesting that many of you say you like to read descriptions but don't write them yourself! I, like @edvardt, am maybe a little bit of a 'purist' - I take my pictures for their visual aspects alone and don't want my personal interpretations to muddy the viewer's experience of them. However, what I'm reading here is that some of you don't feel connected at all to a photo without the person's words to bring you to or explain their state of mind or concept or inspiration.
Personally, if I see a long amount of text with any photo - even one that is almost magazine slick, gorgeous and perfect - I am immediately turned off. Even more so if it's a poem or song lyrics. The reason I started this thread, in fact, is because I noted to myself last night that I generally won't follow someone who uses a lot of words to describe perfectly good photos. [@katiegc24, your way of using words relates directly to your specific theme, and I like the fact that your dad is challenging you with words to include!]
It seems a lot of people who 'blog' along with their photos have many more followers, so I wondered if I was in the minority feeling this way ... thanks for all replies!
If youve ever seen my photos, I'm definitely one to tell a story. I do ramble a bit.. but usually I have a reason for writing something or including a caption to any/all of my photos. A lot of times its to spread some hope or good advice or positive words...I love reading other people's captions too because I do definitely think they add to a photo... and they can help portray a photo in the way the photographer was meant for it to be taken... if that makes sense. Plus, I love a good laugh or splash of wisdom here and there :)
I try and keep my descriptive posts short just because I don't feel the majority of people want to read (or have the time to read) longer posts.
Do I read the ones I come across? YES.
I made the mistake of not reading a post under a photo awhile back and discovered later that the person had disclosed their mother had died. I felt like an absolute heel and apologized and I'll never make that mistake again. If I don't have the time to read the posts, I put it off until I do.
And you can tell the people on here that just comment on the thumbnail only, never read the descriptive posts or "cut and paste" a single comment over and over again (which is kind of sad, really). Their comments on your photos oftentimes don't make any sense and become redundant.
I tend to just write a descriptive of the subject I shot. Sometimes there's a story, mostly there isn't.
I'm fining it harder and harder these days to comment on others photos so I try and keep my comments short, sometimes that means I haven't had time to read the description if it's a long one but I do try when I have the time, so guilty, lol.
When you walk into a gallery you are typically greeted with an artist statement and tags giving you the title of the work, among other items (medium, artist, etc.). You aren't given a terribly in-depth explanation of what the artist was trying to portray. You are in charge of figuring that out and. Hopefully the artist has been able to successfully provide the viewer with everything needed to feel the way they want the viewer to feel
I feel the same way about terribly long descriptions with a photograph. I think a short description about why you took the shot, why you altered it, etc. is really great, but long, drawn-out descriptions become tedious and, to a lesser extent, poems and song lyrics seem generic when trying to explain ones work. If they are ironic or used for a comedic purpose...perhaps.
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I often look at someone's landscape or cityscape and find that I've switched off because there's no info. I know I should be able to appreciate the artist's offering on its own merit,; but I'm not good at abstract painting or abstract music either.
So yes, please. I love to see a bit of description.
I am totally turned off all photos that have no description at all.
Short and sweet is fine, but a little something is nice :)
i have to admit that i am the kind of purist who believe if one creates something, it will be best to make sure of that media without relying on another media to help to explain it
like the best music i consider is the type of music that you can appreciate its form, its structure and so forth, any lyrics or concept behind it can become an obstacle...
but this is just my ideal, sometime i think you do need to say something to make the image more interesting to look at
i find it interesting to read the descriptions sometime
I put a Nursery Rhyme up in Welsh that went with one of my pics as we had learnt it that day, I have to say though that was really for me to remember it. I usually write a line or two of why I chose the picture or what it signifies/is especially if its relevant to our day/not very clear.
I love the descriptions some members do on here @ellida gives me a lesson on something everyday! I have learnt a lot through photos and the accompanying descriptions quite a few times on here which surprised me at first and I love now
I like to read other people's descriptions as well - some photos might be absolutely stunningly beautiful....but part of me always wants to know why that particular shot was so appealing to the photographer.
I remember two of my photos where I took my time and added a longer description,one`s a love story,the other`s a murderer killing someone.Oh,and there`s one with the apocalypse.
But they are kind of embaressing to me,now,so I won`t give any links :) ...
...oh,and I allways put a "soundtrack" in the description,wich is a song that I think fitts the photo.Allthough there are times when I just chose a song in a rush,more often the choosing of the song takes more time then the editing of the photo (sometimes 1 hour or so)...
It's nice to find out a story behind a photo, though, sometimes there can be too much info, or if your not following a person and stumble into the middle of a narrative, it can be quite confusing.
Sometimes I describe what lead me to take the shot or something about the particular day. Other times, I use poems or song lyrics that I feel fit the shot. On one occasion, I started with the song lyrics and created my shot around those lyrics.
Personally, if I see a long amount of text with any photo - even one that is almost magazine slick, gorgeous and perfect - I am immediately turned off. Even more so if it's a poem or song lyrics. The reason I started this thread, in fact, is because I noted to myself last night that I generally won't follow someone who uses a lot of words to describe perfectly good photos. [@katiegc24, your way of using words relates directly to your specific theme, and I like the fact that your dad is challenging you with words to include!]
It seems a lot of people who 'blog' along with their photos have many more followers, so I wondered if I was in the minority feeling this way ... thanks for all replies!
Do I read the ones I come across? YES.
I made the mistake of not reading a post under a photo awhile back and discovered later that the person had disclosed their mother had died. I felt like an absolute heel and apologized and I'll never make that mistake again. If I don't have the time to read the posts, I put it off until I do.
I'm fining it harder and harder these days to comment on others photos so I try and keep my comments short, sometimes that means I haven't had time to read the description if it's a long one but I do try when I have the time, so guilty, lol.
I feel the same way about terribly long descriptions with a photograph. I think a short description about why you took the shot, why you altered it, etc. is really great, but long, drawn-out descriptions become tedious and, to a lesser extent, poems and song lyrics seem generic when trying to explain ones work. If they are ironic or used for a comedic purpose...perhaps.