I invite the members of this group to submit photos that have been created to support the concept of "emotion". It is anticipated that the photographer will preconceive the desired emotion and then try to create a photo that duplicates the emotion. Please describe your thought process and technique and post it to this link.

 

Here is my photo:

 

"Down" by Errick

 

http://1x.com/photo/285337/all:user:262936

 

This is a photo taken three years ago that I just worked up recently in Nik Silver Eflex Pro 2. She has a very up personality but here she is putting on an act for me trying to display the emotions of depression. This image was exposed with all natural lighting. The setting is an old fort that was built in response to the War of 1812 to protect one of the oldest ports in the USA. Most noted as the home port of Black Beard. The fort (Fort Macon) also served in the War Between the States where it fell to the Union in 1962. It was then utilized as a prison to house Confederate soldiers. It's dank, dark, dis-mole character are perfect for the emotion that I wanted to create. I used black and white and relied on a darkened tone. Although it is from my archives, it was created for a camera club assignment to show emotion. It was helpful to have such a terrific actress to help me!

Canon 5D with EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens, tripod. Foceal length 47mm, exposure 1/125 sec, f/5.0, ISO 400.

Hi Errick,

 

I am not sure that an emotion, just an emotion, makes a conceptual picture. I would classify such pictures as you suggest as mood, including the one you posted. It's too simple and straightforward a concept to be conceptual :-) .

 

Have you seen this thread: http://1x.com/forum/conceptual/22/1376106248 ?

 

Anna

I'd say it would make an excellent thread for the Mood group :-)))

Errick - glad to see you have taken an interest in this group. I had mentioned posing an interesting question and you have. Thank you for that and I hope others will join in.

 

I wanted to say that as soon as I saw your photo I understood you were showing depression. This was before I read the title.

I think this emotion is created by her body language and expression and further enhanced by the setting, and your processing. They all go hand and hand to tell me this is an unhappy scene....something unhappy has happened...or might happen...so there is also a story here..an untold one...which leaves us to use our imagination...what happened to her we can ask.

 

Emotions are very complex, and are more easily shown in video..as we see the before and after - so we have context. I find the best emotions come through when he subject is simple...and the emotion can be therefore easily seen. You did a good job at keeping it simple...And the title also helps. :)

 

My best,

Phyllis

 

Errick

I thought I would add one of my own...

Under the info tab there is a poem...

The poem speaks of many things about women...

 

In this case the poem came first, and when I made the photo I tried to show her beauty, and also through the use of in -camera blur - her mystery...we can see the wind....all of this hopefully brings about the sense of enchantment. The photo has an almost liquid quality to it...as the Mistress can really only be defined by the viewer..so in this case you would decide the emotion it leaves for you.

 

http://1x.com/photo/184002/all:user:21245

 

Best

Phyllis

While it has been a while since someone posted to this topic, I thought I'd add my own.

I miss you

http://1x.com/photo/345796/all:user:436107

The emotion here is longing. I've found that this image means something different to different people and I won't add my own story. Most of the stories I've heard have been about love, loss, death and distance. Although, I have had a few mention lord of the rings. What does this image and accompanying title mean to you?

 

The guy in the photo is my boyfriend.

Who i meet through photography (a very important thing in our lives) when i bought an old analogue camera to him.

I love this photo because i consider it shows a little bit of him, like a lovely child.

 

http://1x.com/photo/393762/all:user:287084

What i understand as soon as emotion was mentioned, is object face....

But looking at Camila's photo, i also learned that body language could also express emotion feeling.

Thank you, All for comments and photos.

Can emotion be expressed by a partly visible face? The concept here is about borders to emotion.

 

http://1x.com/photo/426227/all:user:137866

 

Hi Antonella...

I like he photo so very much....

I think emotions can be shown inso very many ways including a partial view of a face...but in the end it will also depend upon the processing of the photo ..do you agree?

 

I am not so sure I understand what you mean by 'borders' to emotion...can you say a bit more about this?

 

However, the photo does bring out a mood...because of the processing, the lines in front of him, and the oof parts...The emotions could be so many different things...

 

I would thin the title might help a lot to show a more specific emotion...

These kinds of shots also offer mystery.

 

Good luck with the photo..

Phyllis

 

Hi Phyllis,

 

thanks for your positive feedback!

 

First of all, the processing. I think processing is fundamental for conceptual photos since the shoot plus the processing determine the final meaning of the photo. I usually shoot portraits in the traditional meaning of the term, though I sometimes like to play with my models in order to add EMOTION to the photo (unfortunately experience and equipment are still poor...)

 

As for the title, I had initially considered 'Go beyond to see behind', but I finally decided upon the name in order not to weight the concept too much.

 

Finally, I would like to explain what I mean by borders to emotion. We usually wear masks in order to hide completely or partially that kind of emotion that can make us look weak or frail and so on. But if you look carefully into a person, if you decide not to stop at the surface and try to sincerely interact, you can probably manage to find out what he is feeling deep inside. I mean, can the threads of the mosquito net really hide the depth of Atruto's look?

 

On the same concept, please give a look at this:

 

http://1x.com/photo/373968/all:user:137866

 

Thanks again!

 

Regards, Anto

Hello Anto,

 

I absolutely agree with you that post processing indeed important to enhance expression.

 

Your comments on behind borders to emotion is very interesting. I can see now how an emotion expressed by photo object can tell more or create story to audiences. Once one try to find out the expression, many stories will fly around.

 

However, i am not sure if we could capture real expression if the photo object realize that she/he is in front of camera. Do you have any suggestion or tips?

 

Thank you,

Johannes

Kindly refer to this photo.... i saw some expression.

Is expression of emotion?

 

http://www.1x.com/photo/379222/all:user:441483

 

Hi Johannes,

 

first of all congrats on your portfolio, it's superb! It arouses lots of stories and emotion.

 

I'm not really an expert, but I believe that one should not barely judge the model, but the picture as a whole. In my experience, often working with the same models, I realize that the photographer can develop a sort of ability to capture expressions and 'moments' which can then rework to create his own Emotion, or develop and process into his own concepts.

 

This is my idea, starting from the bottom of my inexperience!

 

Regards, Anto

Hello again Anto,

Thanks for taking the time to express your thoughts in more detail. I believe I have understood what you mean now by borders.

 

You say that you are not sure that one can capture real emotion if the subject realizes he or she is being photographed. Generally, I would agree and I can see your points. At the same time, much does have to do with the subject's ability to convince us...even if they are not experiencing a particular emotions.

 

I have an actor in my family and he and his friends who are studying are able to strike a pose.....easily... And then there are the films...If you have a great actor and director they can make you believe anything.

 

There is a final scene in my favorite film of all time and no matter how many times I watch this film I cannot watch this scene without getting all choked up inside...and I know it is not real...but each time the camera cuts to the facial expression of the man in the film.....his inner life is being revealed in greater degrees of intensity.

 

At first he is wondering..what is this...then he is captured..and he realizes...and then we see, he is the recipient of so much love from the man who was his mentor. He can show us this even though the mentor is not in the scene...with just a few expressions..and then comes joy next...and the complete realization of just how much he was loved...and cared for...and then the tears come...because now it is his love...and throughout all of this when you have seen the film..and I assume you are Italian and you have seen it...all through this scene we know he is experiencing his past, and present and wondering....about how his life turned out...

And on and on it goes...I think if you were to take photos of those expressions only you would know some of this..but film also has the advantage of showing time....passing...

 

And so...good actors can help...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TflvNm22cpk

 

Phylis

 

Hi Phylis,

 

I definitely agree with you. Sometimes even common people can help, when emotion is considered....

 

See this:

 

http://1x.com/photo/429307/all:user:137866

 

I love this one, though I realize it's full of defects and mistakes. What I love here is EMOTION, the one experienced by the models, and the one I feel at looking at it....

 

Regards, Anto

 

Hi Anto,

 

Thank you ... i am still learning.

 

I learned something from your inputs.

First time reading your comment, i could not understand it. As till now, i just shoot what and how the model pose..... It never come to my mind about a photographer to build his/her own emotion.

 

But after reading your comment again and again, i start to believe that photographer is able to create the emotion of a model.

However, i understand that it will have to depend how and what angle the photo was taken and how the photo was processed during post processing.

 

It is very interesting and i am impressed of your thought or comment.

Thank you

 

Regards,

Johannes

 

Hi Erric/Guys,

 

I created this image with the concept of pain. The background idea was to tell the story of a man imprisoned by the madness of others, but with no way out for himself, and this his moment of full realisation...

 

http://www.1x.com/photo/385093/all:user:233621

Our actions can often cause damage ;). The shot was made in a garden near Rome...

 

http://1x.com/photo/453521/all:user:454401

 

Emiliano

Thanks for all the good ideas and concepts I have found here!

 

I'm absolutely new to this site, I find it completely different than any other picture sharing site - and that's good!

 

Like Emiliano, I think you can express emotion even without people present in a picture.

 

See my contribution:

http://1x.com/photo/538176/group:27:all

 

Like to hear your impressions!

 

 

Good one...

I hope they made it. :)

 

Phyllis

Hello everyone,

first of all, the entries here are really wonderful. It is a pleasure to see so many different options. For me, transmitting some kind of emotion in photography is a must and something I try to achieve in every single photo. Otherwise, it's just a light and shadow exercise. Hope you like this melancholic one :)

http://1x.com/photo/366128/all:user:242908

 

Olga,

I ind this photo wonderful to express emotions. Too often people tend to try to create emotion and they go for exaggerated looks/poses etc. Since this is not what people really look like when they are in most emotional states it often fails. Emotions can be subtle.

 

Your photo has many things going for it which express the longing....

First the colors are not bright and happy ones..beige is neutral...and so the photo is very mono looking. Her hair is falling down the way her feelings on...hanging..her hair looks sad. :) Her expression is perfect an the lighting is natural and part of her face is hidden. I think this is a very successful photo in terms of showing "Saudade"....

 

I know the word Saudade, because I have a friend lives in Brazil. Without that knowledge I probably would be interested but left in the dark. It is a great title for this photo. I guess my own suggestion is to mention the meaning in the comments section of the photo. You will also educate people this way because it will probably come up again. It is not a word that is used in English.

 

Again..congratulations on this shot..I see is published. :) Great.

 

Phyllis

 

First of all, Phyllis, thank you so much for the wonderful comment. You're absolutelly right, our emotions are often contained and not so drammatically visible. Of course, my model was not feeling 'melancholic', it is a staged photo... yet I find that this kind of feeling is somehow intrinsic in the teen age. Saudade, this wonderful Portuguese / Galician word, that has no direct translation in other languages, depicts the deeply sad yet still full of light feeling of longing for a beloved something or someone. Teens tend to feel everything so directly and intenselly as they shed their childhood as the old skin and head into the adulthood. I am very happy that you felt what I pretended to convey in this pic. I'll also add the definition of the title in the photo info. Thanks again :))

 

Your most welcome Olga. :)

Phyllis

 

create a state of symbiosis with the subject is what i think

about photography.

 

This is my last upload taken near Ras Mohammed - Egypt Sinai

 

http://1x.com/photo/688814/all:user:478999

"Best Friend"

 

http://1x.com/photo/757139

 

Everyone seems to be disconnected to our emotional need. Everyone but our "Best Friend"

 

Errick