I have written in past years about the merits of photographing people from the back, but the concept is worth repeating.
Body language—or gesture, as it is often called—can convey much in a still photograph. We can often tell a lot about a person’s disposition just by the way they carry themselves.
Whether overt gestures such as raising a fist in protest or outstretched hands imploring agreement speak loudly, the quieter, subtle gestures—such as the way one walks, or tilts their head when speaking or listening—can also communicate a lot when our eyes pay attention.
If you have never closely studied Rembrandt’s “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” I suggest you give this masterpiece a serious look. Beyond the mood-setting color, the postures of the son, father and brother—especially the positions of the hands—are powerful details employed to tell this compassionate story in one of the artist’s greatest works.
A few years ago, I was walking in the hills with a dear friend, Mark, after he had lost his oldest son. He often took long hikes alone to pray. He asked one day if I would walk with him. I did not carry a camera on this day, but I did have my cellphone.
Following behind on the narrow path, the movements of his body—sometimes unsteady on the stony path—felt like a metaphor for his life then.
I know you are struggling day by day, I observed.
He softly answered, “It is more like hour to hour.”
Reader Challenge
Capture a storytelling photograph without showing a person’s face. Pay attention to body language. Watch how one sits or walks and where they do so. It’s not uncommon to see older men ambling alone with their hands folded behind them.
Email your best image—just one—with caption information, including an explanation of how it affects you, to gph@pioneer.coop. We may share submissions on our website and social media channels.