If you love photography the same way we do, and believe in the power of photos to tell stories, exploring the photos in the World Press Photo 2020 contest is a must!
These photos showcase a vast array of themes and subjects, ranging from conflict to joy, covering animals, sport, anticipation, illness, the environment, despair, hope and everything in between, each cleverly relying on a plethora of photographic techniques that brings their story noisily crashing, happily skipping, or even gently dawdling to the viewer.
Once you’ve had a browse through and enjoyed these pictures for what they are, it’s time to understand them photographically. Pick a couple that you have strong feelings about, ideally both positive or negative, and try to work out why. Obviously there is the subject matter which brings all kinds of personal connections, but we also want to look beyond these and understand how the photographer is telling their story.
Firstly, pay attention to the composition to see which rules they have used and which they have broken. For example, do they employ the rule of thirds? Do they use an odd or even number of subjects? Are there leading lines? How do they frame the story? What have they included in that frame? What do you think that they have left out? What shapes are there, real and implied?
Then consider why they have or have not used certain rules - would changing one aspect change the story being told? Maybe you think it would improve the photograph if they had done x, y, or z. But then consider that they likely had to work in very difficult circumstances, and make split-second decisions. Would you have made the same decisions?
Once you’ve looked at the composition, consider the lighting and the colours. When do you think they took the photo? What time of day? What time of year? Is it naturally lit? Artificially lit? How strong is the light? What direction is it coming from? What colour is it? How does it add or take away depth and texture? What colours are within the frame? Are they harmonious, riotous, peaceful, jarring? What difference would a different palette have made?
Finally, try to work out which of the things that you’ve identified are the main reasons for what you like or dislike so much about the photo. Is it the colours that make it what it is? Is it the clever framing? How about the expressions on the people’s face, or the spontaneity of the moment? Have fun with this, and think about what you like in photos, and how you can practice those skills and incorporate them into your own shots.
Although we cannot always understand the reasons why we have a certain reaction, there are a lot of well-established rules in photography, and visual art in general, that have been developed, improved and exploited by those at the top, and we can always learn from them.
But remember that before and after analysing how a photo was created, you should always take a moment to just enjoy each photo for what it is. You don´t want to be robbed of your initial reaction at the beginning, and you certainly don´t want to be left looking at photographs from a purely mechanical point of view afterwards - photos are stories, there to be enjoyed.
