Picture storiesBy Mary O’CallaghanA quick browse of my phone’s camera roll reveals, as I suspected, mostly photos of nature, rowing and social gatherings. But interspersed among these are photos of recipes, quotes, wine labels, receipts and a few magazine typos (for sharing only with other editors). There’s one of my bedroom’s bare-bulb light fitting for showing to the person in the lighting shop, one of my laptop’s underbelly for emailing to the IT guy, and one of the rear of my tractor for showing the mechanic – when his questions got technical, I just pointed to the photo and said, ‘there, that thing’. In seconds, I can swipe down through a visual cascade of memories. Every picture has a story behind it and, put together, I guess they tell something about me and my life.  Cascade of memories. Photo: Mary O’Callaghan
If you’ve got a great photo that tells a good story, have a look at National Geographic’s Your Shot. You can submit your photo-and-caption to an ‘assignment’ such as Climate change in your life, Islands, Dog days, Road trip. The assigned photo editor will review it and decide whether to include it in the final collection. You may even get direct feedback. Even if you don’t contribute, the photos are fantastic and the editors’ explanations of why they chose each photo offer photography insights and tips. [Thanks Sarah for the tipoff on Your Shot.] |