Theme: What is it and why does it matter?

What is theme?

In photography it means:

• Why are you taking this picture?
• What are you trying to show?
• Why do you want to take this picture?
• What does it mean to you?

Theme is what gives your photos meaning. It makes the photo stand on its own and shows visually what you were thinking mentally. It says something. The old adage in fiction writing is show don't tell. In photography, the rule is absolute. Think about it for a moment. How many times have you showed your friends your pictures and then tried to tell them what each photo was about?

Theme requires no special techniques or knowledge, but it does require some thought. Think about what you are trying to capture. What does the scene or subject have to say? What is the story? A snapshot is a brief recording of a scene. No thought, no plan, nothing in particular. A snapshot just says, "Hey I was there. This is what I saw." On the other hand, a photograph tells a story. It is about everything, the mood, the atmosphere, the sights, the sounds, and the character of the subject. These are the captivating images that everyone falls in love with.

Capturing a theme means to insure that the final print will say what you want it to say. "I was here and the flowers waved in the early morning sun. I saw the light illuminating the paper-thin petals, while their blossoms danced in the breeze." Or it might say, "Mom, if you don't hurry and snap this photo I'm going to choke you." Or maybe, "Yes! Graduation at last."

Think of the graduation scenes that you have seen repeatedly. You know the ones. The classics that say, "this is graduation." A sea of students standing in billowy robes tossing hats into the sky. How do we know it's graduation? Does anyone have to tell you it's graduation? That is theme.

How do you show theme? By the use of light, composition, color, shape, perspective, selective focus, etc. The object is to draw the viewer into the image. Show them what you saw and how you saw it. How did it feel? If you want to show how majestic a California Poppy is, shoot the flower from beneath looking up towards the sky. If you want to show how fast your child is growing, do the same thing. In reverse, if you wanted to show how small your little boy seemed going off to his first day of school, stand on a chair above him and call his name. When he looks up at you, take the picture. First you must think, then set about showing.

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