Sense of Place
The elements of a "great" photograph is a subjective and debated subject. As I've talked about in some of my previous posts, I believe that photography is an art form. As such, there are certain guidelines that individuals have that often lead to good work, but there are no true, set in stone rules. One of these guidelines that I have found to be very helpful in my own photography is a sense of place. With all of the sports photography that I have been doing, this has been a good way to spice up and enhance my photos. It's also quite easy to do in landscape photography, where the subject is the place itself. However, a sense of place is something that can be used in almost any genre. It can turn a somewhat bland picture into something much more meaningful.
As the name implies, a sense of place is some element in a picture that highlights the place in which it was taken. This sense of place can come from a variety of factors. Sometimes, it's very obvious, as in the first picture below. The text clearly spells out the location, and this water tower is a well known landmark locally.
Downtown Carmel Water Tower (taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 70-200 f/2.8 @ 200 mm, 1/15 sec, f/16)
The next picture still has a fairly obvious sense of place. The Spartan head is by no means hidden. But I find that the logo is more of a complement than the main subject, which I see as the player about to serve in the bottom left corner. Additionally, I think that a logo is a bit more subtle than text that spells out the place, if only marginally.
Lia Schneider of michigan state Volleyball prepares to serve during a game against Indiana (taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 24-70 f/2.8 @ 24 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2.8)
A sense of place can come from something other than these obvious, man-made signals, though. This shot below could have been taken any time of the year, and without the background, there would be no way to tell. However, the stark color of the leaves in the background more subtly reflects the fall season in which it was taken. This adds more depth to the picture, giving context and putting the viewer into the story of the image more.
A squirrel Cradles his prize (taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 200-500 f/5.6 @ 500 mm, 1/250 sec, f/5.6)
While a sense of place is not strictly necessary, photography is all about telling stories with only a still image. As much context as you can add to an image will make this story more compelling. Having a great subject is one thing, but a sense of place can really complete the story. As stated earlier, there are innumerable things that go into making a great photograph. A sense of place is just one. It may not always be possible to have, but anytime it makes sense (picture at an important event with a logo, picture during a specific season, picture of a well known landmark, etc.) it will be sure to enhance an image. Remember to try and tell stories with a photograph, not just capture a moment. As always, let me know if you have any thoughts. Until next week, thank you for reading!
