The power of visuals

Storytelling through images has the power to do what video does, but you have one frame to encompass an entire narrative. Through elements such as style, colors, typography and an intended message, one is able to create a moving story. In doing so, an audience is able to find depth through their own experiences.

In the introduction to “Visual Storytelling” by Andrew Losowsky, he states that the “essence of visual storytelling is the combination of emotional reaction and narrative information.” An image should tell a story apart from one of beauty because an audience craves art that speaks to them. Whether its marketing, public relations, journalism or anything else that uses an image to tell a story, if done so properly, it will trigger the chain reaction that lets the audience feel a certain way.

Photos, paintings, sketches and everything in between has the power to make a person feel everything from despair to pure happiness. The following seven images, for instance, are examples of pieces where the details can help create an entire story.

World War II ended in 1945 and left its mark on the country for years to come. With food, water and general supplies rationed during the war, everyone felt its effects, and this photo taken in Chicago, Illinois in August 1948 encapsulates just how much. This image is sadly an example of a single frame capturing a devastating moment in history. 

The tragic photo shows a sign that reads “4 children for sale. Inquire within.” Four children sit beside it on the front steps of their home as their mother hides her face from the photo being taken. Could she have been hiding tears or raw shame? The children, who appear to be no older than six or seven years of age, look innocent and confused. They had no idea what their future would bring. One of the youngest, and the only boy, is holding his sister around his arms as if to say he’ll keep her safe. 

In The Four Principles of Visual Storytelling, author Jade Lien emphasizes that you should “make your audience feel something and feel it intensely.” This photo seems to have done just that. After the photo was published in newspapers across several states, offers of financial assistance came pouring in from readers across the country. Unfortunately, the family’s circumstances did not improve and every child in the photo was eventually sold off (Renderman, 2013).

While a lot of different things are taking place throughout this work of art, one of the strongest feelings taken from it is warmth as the family takes part in the Mexican tradition of cooking tamales.

In the photo you see at least three generations of families scattered around a kitchen, each doing their part for a big feast. Making tamales isn’t particularly hard, but it is time consuming so it’s typical for a family to do this together. From experience participating in regular tamaladas as a child, what this image gets right is the feeling of togetherness. It captures the coziness and comfort found at the heart of a tamalada. Hanging on the walls are items found in almost every Mexican or Hispanic household, including a garlic ristra and a painting of The Last Supper. On the stove is a steamer pot already cooking a batch of tamales and beside it is a traditional molcajete, the Mexican version of the mortar and pestle.

The details in this scene depict a beloved tradition and the artist was able to emphasize elements of family and bonding as each character has their own contributions that add to the overall piece.  

It can be disheartening to look back to old stories and find out they didn’t play out how you thought they did. The same can be said about one of the most iconic kisses in history. Chances are most people have seen the photograph of George Mendonsa kissing Greta Zimmer Friedman on V-J Day in 1945. For those who may not have, the black and white image shows a sailor and nurse sharing a passionate kiss in Times Square. 

Everyone around them is smiling and looks of relief and happiness that the war has ended are visible on every face. For years, the photo has painted the ideal portrayal of romance as the pair share what looks to be the perfect kiss. When looking at the image for the first time, one may wonder if they were reunited lovers after the war, or if they were strangers swept up by the excitement of the atmosphere.

Upon deeper inspection, however, you see how forced the kiss looks. Her head is locked into the crook of his elbow, and looks like she’s unable to move or avoid his lips. Her legs look like they got caught in an uncomfortable position and her waist is being pushed up against his. Her right hand looks jammed between both of their chests and it does not look uncomfortable. The image, iconic as it may be, depicts aggressive behavior. 

The day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, demonstrators around the world took to the streets to protest the new administration and push for gender equality. As depicted in the image above, demonstrators of every age, race and gender identity joined together during the 2017 Women’s March on Washington to advocate for their cause. 

In the photo, you can see demonstrators donning their custom “pussy” hats, bright pink flags and powerful messages handwritten on their homemade signs. Among the crowd is a bright, rainbow-themed poster that reads “Love Trumps Hate” and dozens more that include hand-drawn uteruses and the female gender sign. The atmosphere feels powerful and every woman in the crowd looks determined, which leaves the audience with a feeling of hope.

With one in five pregnancies ending in miscarriage, these photos of model and author Chrissy Teagan show the devastation that comes with the loss of a child. Teagan posted the images on social media shortly after her miscarriage to show the physical and emotional side effects that come with the loss of a child. In the series of intimate, black-and-white photographs documenting their family tragedy, it’s not hard to sympathize with the family.

In the photos you see her tearfully clasping her hands together while sitting in a hospital bed. In another you see her cradling her son with her husband. The photos don’t have color, which symbolize the light that has temporarily gone out in their lives. It paints a picture of grief from their side and creates an overwhelming feeling of compassion from those looking through the other side of their phone screen. 

Bong Joon-ho’s Academy award-winning Parasite has been called one of the most significant works of film in decades, and one of its alternative movie posters can equally match that rank.

Parasite tells the story of a poverty-stricken family, who cunningly place themselves in the service of a wealthy household. This movie poster helps emphasize how different their worlds truly are. Shown as reflections of each other, you can see one how one family lives in luxury. They have a home large enough to lead upstairs and have decorated art on their walls. To their opposite is a family who is struggling to maintain themselves in a Seoul slum. Not every person on the bottom half is holding something, which highlights that they don’t have a lot of material items.

The poster does a great job of highlighting their disparity through color, using a bright, clean color to depict the wealthy family and a dark, more obscure one for the lower-class family.

From traditional Mexican foods and sweets to elaborate makeup and costumes, Dia de Muertos incorporates many meaningful customs as a way to keep the memory of those who have passed alive.

The image above shows several women dressed up in traditional Mexican attire with brightly painted faces and a few holding paper maché skulls, or calaveras. There are women and families of all ages, who each have their own creativity shine through their face paint and masks. It’s a colorful and lively photo that represents the tradition and pride that comes with honoring the day.

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Images, whether painted, drawn or shot through a camera lens, are a static medium. Each one is a moment frozen in time. For the most part, the audience does not know what happened before or after each scene, which leaves room for each person to create their own story. This is what can make an image heartbreaking or or one that leaves the audience feeling hopeful.

Losowsky says that like “the soundtrack in a movie, visuals create barely perceptible emotional connect to the telling of the main narrative.” A single frame or image has the power to tell a story, and when more and more people have access to the art, the meanings that come with each image are endless.

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References:

Lien, J. (2019, November 21). Worth 1,000 Words: The 4 Principles of Visual Storytelling. amplifi. https://amplifinp.com/blog/4-principles-visual-storytelling/.

Losowsky, A. (n.d.). Visual Storytelling.

Renderman, V. (2013, June 23). Sold-off siblings shown in old photo tell their stories. nwitimes.com. https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/sold-off-siblings-shown-in-old-photo-tell-their-stories/article_1c095598-89f4-584b-891b-7ef48a1e2082.html.