Context and Narrative by Maria Short

Signs and symbols
For me the most significant thing that I discovered on reading this book related to the chapter on Signs and Symbols. On reflecting on the author's summary of the basic theories of semiotics, I realised that the people that I photograph when travelling overseas are symbols for me of an aspect of that country. For example, when I was in Japan, I wanted to convey the order and conformity of Japanese society through a photo of school children wearing smart uniforms.

Uniformed school boys

Expressed in another way, the photographs that I look for are generally photographic cliches or stereotypes. I admit that these terms carry an adverse connotation. Nevertheless, I consider that this is a valid and reasonably approach to take to travel photography:

• This is possibly inevitable if the symbolism is to be understood by a viewer.
• I also look out for anti-stereotypes. I was surprised, for example, that Japanese young people, who I expected to be addicted to their mobile phones and other electronic gadgets, were still to be found sitting comfortably in cafes deeply engrossed reading a book. I took several shots of book readers as a result.

This chain of thought also led me to realize that in taking candid photographs of strangers, it is the symbolism of the figure that is important not their identity (unlike a portrait of someone you know or a celebrity where identity would normally be paramount). The Migrant Mother photographed by Dorothea Lange was a potent symbol of the plight of migrant workers and their families. Her identity is far less significant.
This possibly explains why I felt that something was lacking in the photographs that I took at Guildford Farmers Market in April. The photographs of stallholders would be reasonable as portraits, but to me, these individuals had no symbolic significance. The photo of the gipsy lady taken at the market on the same day, on the other hand, seemed stronger. Possibly her avid gaze for a someone to buy her flowers epitomized the harshness of life as a traveller.
Narrative
In a similar way, reading the chapter on Narrative prompted my thoughts on how I have started to use narrative in my travel photography. Instead of taking photos of subjects that I come across during the day, I have consciously been formulating a narrative or themes (in this context a theme is an idea that forms part of the overall narrative) that I can use to bring some structure to the photographs that I take.
As we are generally going to places that I am unfamiliar with, I usually only find an idea for a narrative at some time after the trip has started. I will often look at pictures beforehand in guide books and on the web (e.g. on Flickr to see what local photographers think is interesting). This helps to start my mind thinking about themes but such third party sources are generally disappointing in terms of suggesting ideas. It is only when I am in a place that the idiosynchrasies become apparent. For example, two of the most distinctive features of the city of Santiago de Chile were first, the well fed dogs who seem to be populate the streets and squares in the city centre and second, the courting couples using the small grass areas on roundabouts and traffic islands for their trysts. These peculiarities do not appear in the guide books or Flickr groups as I guess they are not considered important by the people who contribute to those sources. For me however, these were the reasons that Santiago de Chile was far more interesting than Buenos Aires where the central area was indistinguishable from a city in Europe.
Having such a theme has many benefits:-

• I have some specific subjects already in mind when I am out and about, which makes it more likely that I will be ready with my camera if a suitable situation arises.
• It is otherwise easy to miss themes whose activity is in the background, e.g. photos of the crew on a boat trip.
• It is easy to create a photojournal on the journey home or within a couple of days. Starting from scratch can take days or weeks.
• It also helps me to identify unexpected subjects that present themselves.

The theme prompts me to work out some potential subjects that could illustrate points in the narrative.
The chapter on Context and Narrative in the book was one of the most interesting, in particular the variety shown in the examples.
I thought that the recent exhibition at the Photographers Gallery in London of photographs by Edward Burtynsky on Oil was especially impressive as a narrative.

• The photographs are beautifully presented, the quality of the photographs, the light and composition are fantastic.
• The images have a uniformity of style in terms of size and his use of high viewpoint. The large size prompts the viewer to linger at each picture taking in the details.
• The movement from subject to subject as the narrative progresses compels the viewer to wonder what will come next.
• The narrative shows aspects of the industry and the side-effects in a way that is thought provoking and original.

Other notes 
Some of other points that I noted in reading the other chapters were:

• On subjects: If it is clear WHY the photograph is to be taken, you can then decide HOW to take the photograph.
• This leads on to the practical questions - Is it essential to photograph the subject or can it be implied? How important is the context? What do you need to show or want to show?
• Once the subject is decided, draw up a shooting list of the various specific views of that subject.
• Don't forget to think about "missing information" - the aspects of a scene that are not visible: sound, smell, fear. Can these be made visible in some way?

All in all, a useful book to read and think about.