Like surrealism, symbolic photography implies experimenting with objects, colors, and themes to deliver specific messages and evoke certain feelings. Symbols are one of the greatest ways to convey ideas in photography. They don’t “tell” people directly about the facts but prompt them to suss them out.
As every person and nation understands symbols and archetypes in a different way and it can be a very exciting process. So, have a look at these symbols and discover what stands behind them.
Every natural phenomenon and element can symbolize something different in nature photography. Water is a symbol of power and wisdom, whereas fire stands for various notions such as passion, destruction, and rebirth. Mountains represent majesty, as they are often used to denote aspirations and lofty goals.
Stones and earth symbolize strength and hope. The Sun has various meanings like optimism, divinity, wisdom, and more.
Geometric shapes and their orientation to one another can also represent some symbols. In different cultures shapes have varied meanings. The generally accepted concept concerns standard shapes, such as a circle, which is a consistent figure and represents peace and softness. A square symbolizes the perfect type of secluded gardens, monasteries, courtyards, etc., standing for constancy and stability.
A triangle can be treated differently in various religions. As for symbolism in photography, it usually conveys eternity where the peaks symbolize the past, future, and present.
Red is often associated with heat, fire, and blood, making this color closely connected to human beings and physicality. Photos with a red prevailing indicate some kind of tension or conflict that an author wants to show. If an image is taken in accordance with complementary color photography principles, e.g., small details are contrasting the red color, this indicates a confrontation of interests and cultures, an internal protest.
Yellow is a universal symbol of the sun and hot seasons. Announcing the end of winter, this color is widely associated with positive emotions and carelessness. Being a combination of yellow and red, orange signifies warmth and delight. Images with these colors often evoke positive emotions and encourage us to think of sunny days and those emotions that you experience when you feel warm rays on your skin.
No matter whether you are working on composite pictures or using various effects at the post-production stage, it is impossible to take a symbolic photo on the first try.
Colors are great if you aspire to take symbolism images. Different shades induce powerful feelings and each of them has its special meaning in different cultures. So, your viewers may interpret different hues in their own way.
Pink is associated with innocence and sympathy, and sometimes with femininity. At the same time, it is related to something perky and irresponsible. Photos with predominant pink have a careless component in them. They radiate lightness and carelessness associated with childhood.
Such a combination represents age, sentimentality, and the split of creative realities.
Many photographers turn to black and white photography to focus on emotions. Such images are elegant and realistic. Wedding photographers often shoot B&W to highlight romance, commitment, and happiness of couples and families.
Flowers are widely recognized as symbols of beauty. They also represent consolation, love, and fondness. Depending on the conditions, one flower can stand for reproduction or decay, love or severity, or convey specific notions.
Flower photography typically involves taking images of tulips, daffodils, and pansies that are associated with changes. The symbolism of these plants lies in the possibility to denote a new stage of life, keeping all the past events in the memory. Tulips make people hope for a better future, whereas Daffodils are associated with the rebirth from sadness.
Fruit and vegetables often serve as bright visual symbols. For example, an apple stands for the sins of the first people. In such a way this fruit is a sign of carnal pleasure that often appears in pictures with a deeper meaning.
Because of their acidic taste, lemons are often associated with discontent and disagreement. In its turn, a peach is widely regarded as a sign of virtue. Since working with food is always more difficult because it may quickly lose its presentable look, you should learn popular food photography tricks.
Photographers also like taking pictures of pumpkins that are widely regarded as a symbol of Halloween, as well as a seasonal change. Vegetables are universally connected with such notions as protection, warmth, and health. When you see a pumpkin in a photo, you will immediately think about some rural area and the harvest period.
There are numerous animal symbols in human culture and visual art. For example, cats are one of the most popular representations of freedom, wit, and grace.
Horses also frequently appear in different art forms. They signify noble and important figures and add some dynamism to a picture. Horse photography is a challenging genre, but the results can leave nobody indifferent. The genre touches upon such themes as victory, death, war, wealth, etc.
Birds are a universal symbol of freedom, especially if we speak about pigeons, which are associated with peace in bird photography. Eagles and hawks convey strength, power, and a spirit of courage.
Death is represented in art by various elements and even animals. These are skulls, vultures, ravens, clocks, etc. Many still-lifes feature beautiful and delicate flowers in combination with a creepy skull. Such pictures convey the transience of time and being. To take a picture with a deeper meaning, arrange the objects in your composition carefully.11. Use Mirrors to Show Vanity
Viewers should manage to grab the meaning of a symbol, so you should consider each element before including it in an image. You should also remember that each person can interpret the same symbol differently. People from various cultures and countries have different associations with the same elements. Besides, there spring up new symbols because of the influence of the net and pop culture.
Objects are often associated with an array of feelings and concepts. For example, a crown can stand for authority and victory, whereas a pen is a sign of diplomacy and stability. Because of the idea that a mirror reveals the hidden truth, this object is often associated with honesty or vanity.
Many female artists who work in the genre of self-portrait photography play with the symbolism of a mirror to discover new notions of identity that are widely discussed in modern society.
Instruments can make an image sound. Speaking about portraits, shooting someone sitting at the piano means that a model is creative and musical.
Various brass instruments indicate cheerfulness and energy. String instruments convey sadness, sympathy, fragility, and delight. So, if you can convey music visually while presenting the feeling embedded in the scene, you can be sure you’ve captured the music itself.
To photograph someone with a torch that is associated with enlightenment, truth, or life, you need to collect the right accessories. Taking pictures of fire can be problematic, so choose the location outside with the appropriate lighting. Organizing a symbolic session is like planning other types of photoshoots – you only need to get everything prepared.
If you need to capture symbolic objects to edit together later, take images of items from different angles and choose various lighting settings. In such a way you can be sure that you have enough material for editing. You are also free to take neutral images with even illumination and simple backdrops to make a basis for a picture.
When taking pictures, think of where your images will be viewed or used. Symbolic photography is quite versatile and you can use product shots to advertise a brand or company. If your image features products, it is paramount to make the branding well-visible. Besides, such an image should satisfy customers’ curiosity.
If you want to make your symbolic photos more atmospheric, use this collection of presets. They are suitable for improving photos of animals, nature, and simple objects in the tones that will convey the emotions hidden in the symbols. There are matte and brighter presets with high contrast, filters for balancing light and shadows, as well as film effects with warm and cold colors.
