Context. What we’re basically looking at is how relatable and communicative a photograph is to the viewer. Sometimes as an artist one can become too involved with the creative process, which can mean creating something that may not be entirely interpretable to others or may have a confusing message.
I wouldn’t say becoming engrossed by the moment is a bad thing at all. Certainly, if you are, it probably shows that you’re motivated and find the process rewarding, engaging. I think these are some of the qualities that can make for great image-makers.
If you’re creating art purely for yourself, then you don’t really have to care what anyone else thinks. I think most would agree there is certainly an art to wedding photography (and obviously photography itself), and if you’re passionate you’re going to be making the images you believe in – but ultimately these images are for someone else, and they are to fit into their lives, and express a part of that. In that, I think you also accept the personal meaning and relationship the intended viewer has for the work will always make it more interpretable to them, and perhaps less so to outsiders. In artfully creating an image of someone, for someone, one needs to recognize that you have the ability to communicate a tremendous amount with a single photograph.
You usually need to be able to recognize the subject(s) of the photograph, what is happening, and where was it taken. It’s through the use of light and composition that you expresses these elements, which is where you’ll also consider simply why the image has been created at all, why it’s been composed how it is, why it’s more significant than whatever came before or after it. We then arrive at the context, we understand, we relate.
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As part of a personal challenge last year, I think trying to include more in the frame without creating distraction, or confusion, has allowed me to give context to an image more effectively. Sometimes that can mean something as simple as taking a step back and including more of the environment. We have the main subjects illuminate in the bottom left of frame, at the alter after the vows have been exchanged and they’ve been announced as husband and wife. A real moment, as they look back at their loved ones with elation. The inclusion of the quire is one of personal significance, but also gives us a sense of the atmosphere, rich in celebration and tradition, allowing us to step deeper into the photograph than if we’d simply isolated the expressions. I never try to create ‘perfect’ images, as it’s almost in those imperfections that you see something more real and human… but if I can encapsulate several relevant and complimentary elements into one image, I feel like I can create something more memorable, more meaningful.
