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Now reading: 'Details matter': Ian Goode on visual storytelling 27 comments

'Details matter': Ian Goode on visual storytelling

Published Mar 6, 2016 | dpreview staff

Ian Goode has over 12 years of experience working in advertising, and until recently owned a production company that specialized in photo illustration and compositing. He has a keen eye for the subtle influences that details can have on an image as a whole, and on the story that it tells. In his PIX 2015 talk, he brings his perspective from advertising to the creation of any imagery, stressing the importance of storytelling in photography and the elements of a photo that can contribute to a strong narrative.

See more PIX 2015 talks, demos and panels

Tags: video, photography, pix-2015

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DonaldDPR

Very interesting, i like to so how they creat a picture with others pictures.

3 weeks agopermalink

clicstudio

Visual yes. Story telling? Why? The original photos already tell something.
Color correction and adding fx and elements doesn't change the fact that the original photos were not that great to begin with. Maybe they should concentrate on being better photographers and not spend hours fixing dull photos.

7 months agopermalink

LF Photography

Lovely use of artistic, technical and storytelling skills in photography. I often find such intricate composites fascinating. Too bad his own real-time storytelling isn't on the same level.
Regardless, the talent is obvious, and I find all the purists criticism kind of hilarious; The fact that he was hired by companies like Facebook is more than proof enough of his skills in photography and business, a feat 99.999% of photographers can only dream about.
But to each his own.

Great work!

7 months agopermalink

JackM

Ok, I thought that was Henry Winkler. I think it would be great to see him cast as a cool/tough guy again, not these neutered roles of late.

7 months agopermalink

SomeoneNotImportant

My colorist has some 23 years of experience. He started learning the craft at the age of 15 as an Apprentice Lihtographer and then a Master.
As one of the most sought after drumscanner operators he also developed color profiles for the printing industry, etc.etc
Clients with the highest profiles in lingery, food, fashion, tricky stuff.
But his true love is scanning 4x5 inch sheet film.
Because it has substance.

7 months ago*permalink

love_them_all

Anybody knows how to do the last adjustment of the last image? Around 17:52.

7 months agopermalink

kadardr

Photoshopping can be a real art. Something like this: http://www.floraborsi.com/.
It can also involve storytelling or strong narrative. For that you do check out the Time Travel series of the above lady.

7 months agopermalink

Chris41

I love style !

7 months agopermalink

MarkMAlaska

I really hate this misuse of the word 'narrative.' Nothing he is describing is a narrative. Changing the color and contrast of a landscape photo does not change it into a story. A story is something that unfolds over time; photographs don't do that. If that landscape photo suddenly became a story, then tell me that story - start at the beginning and walk me through the narrative until the end. You can't because there is no narrative communicated by the image. What does change is the mood, affect, and connotation and that is really an interesting thing to analyze, but we never get there if we insist on focusing on buzzwords like 'narrative' and 'story-telling.'

7 months agopermalink

maljo@inreach.com

An interesting photo tells a story.

7 months agopermalink

MarkMAlaska

Maljo, many photos illustrate stories or remind you of pre-existing stories, but you generally need to know the story beforehand - the photo doesn't tell it. An example of a photo that tells a story would help your argument.

7 months agopermalink

dialstatic

I guess I agree. What I took from it is that attention to certain details make it easier for photos to be taken up into a narrative (i.e. the story the client wants to tell).

7 months agopermalink

dialstatic

Nice video. I'm torn between thinking this is really cool, and somehow wrong. I know a photograph is never an 'objective truth' to begin with, but this is next-level manipulation. On the other hand, it's commercial stuff: he's not aiming for World Press Photo and his final product look awesome.

I guess I have the luxury of picking and choosing what I think photography should be (showing 'truth' vs. fabricating a story), as it's just a hobby for me.

7 months agopermalink

shoevarek

I think majority if not all World Press Photo photographs are conscious manipulations. It is not just domain of commercial photography. This is associated with the preceding discussion about the question of photo telling or illustrating the story. If photo illustrates the story it illustrates the story created by photographer, manipulated/adjusted by his worldview in order to pass his own message.

7 months agopermalink

George Zip

I enjoyed that. Did not care about the hat.

7 months agopermalink

surlezi

Great presentation, thank you.
Impressed by post prod technique, would have loved some insight on the software and techniques used, but it's not part of this story.

7 months agopermalink

TriezeA72

If only the brown couple had an Olympus "Fox Brown" OM-D E-M10 II limited edition camera sitting beside the lamp, then it would've been a perfect image..... He's got a great eye for detail, and very talented.. shame his speech doesn't match up!... It's very hard to understand him when he speaks!

7 months agopermalink

PeterPrism

Don't like this criminal hat. The work not so fantastic imho. Sorry.

7 months ago*permalink

Lassoni

This is actually some very interesting stuff. Also sick editing skills

7 months agopermalink

Kamox

Great video. Impressive post production skills, also.

7 months ago*permalink

cdembrey

Hiding his eyes is part of his story! Posting inane comments on DPReview is part of your story! He makes the Big Bucks and you don't.

7 months agopermalink

pxlwz

"He makes the Big Bucks and you don't."

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't and chose to work for a company like Facebook. Being great at what you do in the creative world, does not necessarily translate into big bucks.

7 months agopermalink

cdembrey

Hmmm, how much do they pay to post on the DPReview forms??? A lot less than he makes at FaceBook I'm sure. I'll stick with" he does and you don't."

7 months agopermalink

MarioV

I dont mind if its fictional story telling, but, for example, the two guys in the canoe "heroically" paddling towards a fabricated storm is a bit fraudulent if its being passed as an actual story. It never happened.

7 months agopermalink

Sangster

This is visual illustration as oppose to "journalism".

7 months agopermalink

MarioV

Seems more like fantasy art to me.

7 months agopermalink

AprilW

It's like digital painting + composite art.

7 months agopermalink


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