Visual Conversations
Lately I have been thinking about the nature of communications and how it has changed the way we live our lives. As a photographer I am especially interested in the increased use of imagery as tool of conversation. While we all know what "visual" implies adding the term "conversation" kind of complicates things since we are used to defining that word in terms of verbal communications either written or spoken. However, when we combine the words into the term visual conversation we become confused and ask how can we visually have a conversation.
Well according to a number of sources the word conversation means:
- A conversation is communication by two or more people, or sometimes with one's self, often on a particular topic. Conversations are the ideal form of communication in some respects, since they allow people with different views of a topic to learn from each other. Wikipedia
- The spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions, and feelings Dictionary.com
Combining the two terms to come up with a new one Visual Conversation and placing it in today's context of today's technology of imagery we can see that conversations are no longer limited to verbal interchanges. Hence, we have inner conversations as we interpret and process imagery,we have both verb al and visual conversations with others as the imagery engages us and causes us to talk about what we are seeing. So a photograph can be part of a visual conversation. In fact we might say that a photograph is the catalyst for combining visual and verbal interactions.
Whew that was kind of deep! And I think it is necessary as we as photographers/visual media makers begin to translate how we can improve what we do in the context of today's media. How can we initate visual conversations? How can we extend the conversation to others through ever emerging media possibilities?
In a nut shell by having visual conversations with our clients we can expand the ways in which we can identify and meet their needs far beyond just paper prints placed in a book or hung on a wall.
How do each of these images stimulate an interaction between you and the image, you and yourself, or you and someone else?