Today’s Seniorologie 101 is by a wonderful photographer named Jamie of Jamie Rae Photography.  Jamie’s work is all about telling a story with her images and below she shares just how she does that.

A few years ago I began to take notice of photographers whose images I seemed to emotionally connect with.  I would be flipping through galleries online, from one photographer to another, and much of the work would blend together.  Once in a while, my heart would skip a little beat and I would find an image or a photographer whose work spoke to me emotionally.

I realized that there is a difference between taking a picture and creating an image that tells a story.  I call these inspiring images “story images”.   I have found that framing a subject correctly is key to creating these gorgeous pictures.  Being able to manipulate an environment within your camera will give you an ability to create these compelling images almost anywhere.

I wanted to give concrete illustrations of what it really means to shoot story images within the frame.  Here are three examples (with tips!) from a recent shoot with my model Amanda.

Tip #1.  Eliminate unnecessary background distractions.

When I saw this location, I was immediately reminded of Ireland.  I got this romantic feeling that I could be lost on a beautiful green island somewhere… except for the distracting apartment buildings in the back.  So, I framed my subject so that everything except the lush green grass and hills were eliminated.  Use extra care if you are trying to create a rural feel out of a location in the city- any glimpse of metal or constructed wood will give your secret away!

Tip #2.  Work your location.

Amanda and I next headed to this corner of a parking lot.  Yep, that’s right, you heard me, I shoot in parking lot corners… and alleys and porches and other nooks and crannies too!  This spot was a little trickier as I had less room to work in.  I walked around with Amanda until I found the perfect perspective.  Never give up- there will always be a perspective that allows you to tell your story if you keep trying.

Tip #3.  Look for interesting texture and backdrops.

I have trained myself to be on the constant look out for pretty walls, gorgeous texture in nature, and interesting architecture.  I glimpsed this location from the corner of my eye and Amanda and I pulled over and had to use it!  You can see from the images below that I was very careful to only include the orange wall and the pretty leaves in the image, leaving the true location (which was in the back of an office building of some sort) a mystery to my viewer.

Much of photography is about creating illusion.  Of course we want authentic and genuine personality and beauty to shine, but I love the idea that we can take any location and turn it into something new and unseen.  The ability to turn almost any location into a story telling image will give you a thirst for turning unpromising locations into something spectacular.  Happy Shooting!