Photography isn’t just about taking a picture and moving on. When it really works, can it be like poetry, but for your eyes. If you don’t just show what’s there, but make the viewer feel something or look at things in a new way. Is that poetry or technique.
For either, lighting is huge. Good light sets the whole mood. Soft or harsh, it changes everything. Shadows can make things feel mysterious or uncertain. And colour? Warm colours make you feel safe, cool colours can feel calm or even a bit lonely.
How you put everything together in the frame—that’s key. Composition is paramount, it guides the viewer’s eyes, ensures the image has a good flow. Texture and shape add interest, too, making you want to look closer. Sometimes it’s just a minor element that says more than any words could.
Sometimes the best images aren’t even clear about what they show, rather focussing on colour, shape, and texture—can say more than a straight-up picture. Both poetry and photography cut out the extra stuff, getting right to the core feeling or idea.
So, when a photo does more than show what something looks like—when it shares a feeling or thought you can almost sense but not explain—is that when it becomes visual poetry ?