Still Photography
Why Still Photography Is Better Than Video
Still photography is often looked upon as inferior to video. And who wouldn't think so? After all, a still picture is just that - still. Video is moving, people say. it's captured reality that we can watch and experience again and again. Video is the future; still photography is a thing of the past.
But is that really true? Is still photography an ancient art form? We think not! In fact, we fully believe that still photography, when employed by a master, is much more powerful than video.
Still Photography - Quick and Easy Access
Still photos are easy to access and view as opposed to video which needs playback devices to be appreciated. This fact alone hinders videos reach. Plus, video demands a viewer's time for it to work. A single still photograph takes just one second to burn itself onto a person's mind. And the more masterful the shot, the more powerful the effect.
Still Photography - A Thousand Words in One
Consider how different using video is compared to still photography. Video can capture moments of fear, hysteria, jubilation and lay them out for the world to watch in sequence. Still photography doesn't share that luxury (even a series of chronological photos is nowhere near the motion of video). Yet what happens if you strip video of sound? Context? Sometimes, all you get is a blur. Without the gunfire and screaming, you wouldn't know you were watching a war sometimes. Without a narrator's voice over you wouldn't understand the depths of a tragedy like a vicious earthquake or devastating famine.
Still photography, on the other hand, can capture hundreds of ideas and emotions in just one well constructed photograph. Who can forget the award-winning image of an African child, crawling in an open field on the verge of death, a vulture landing nearby to stake claim to its future meal? Surely video would have made for a much more devastating portrait of the moment; though perhaps it would end up being obscene. A single still photo, however, captured all one needs to know about the situation in Africa and sent shock waves throughout the world.
Which brings us to the real power of still photography… the ability to shake people out of their own reality to another realm - without moving. Video is obvious, blatant, and consequently, in some cases, unreal. Still pictures, like those that captured the World Trade Center attacks and the nightmarish aftermath, were infinitely more powerful than the news replays of dirty and bloody people.
Still photography is an amazing art form. Video is great and has its own strengths of course. But the next time you watch the news or view a home video, remember how distinct it is to open a family photo album or news magazine and experience the thoughts and ideas shown in still photography. There's a world of difference.
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