Visual Voice: What kind of energy does your work convey?

[CarolineJensen]

Hi, everyone! I love to help people find their visual voice and style. It is hard to find yourself when we are bombarded with so much beauty everyday! It is easy to get lost in the shuffle of photography trends and fads too.

One of my favorite tricks for digging down to find someone's visual voice is to determine the primary energy level of their work. Do they prefer high energy or calm? Most people prefer one or the other. Here are some cues:

HIGH ENERGY

bright lights, bright or saturated colors, clashing colors, busy scenes, crowds, quick movement, direct eye contact with camera,  light trails, motion blur, frozen motion, extreme emotions (from despair to bubbly joy), multiple subjects in the frame, multiple focal points that move the eye of the viewer around the frame, tight spaces, stormy weather, subjects very close to one another, etc. 

LOW ENERGY

negative space, single subjects, muted colors, still subjects, monochrome settings, harmonious or analogous colors, quiet moments, contemplative subjects, no direct eye contact, camera as observer, stepped back, quiet, calm weather, etc. 

We can definitely do both as photographers, but which are you most drawn to?

I am definitely a low energy shooter! It is hard for me to find high energy images anywhere in my portfolio. 😂 Here are a couple of examples from my own work:

High energy: 

 

Low Energy: 

 

Share a picture below so we can together analyze the energy level in your work! Feel free to share up to three images in one post. 🙂 

NOTE: There are photographers who comfortably bridge both, but analyzing your work for your PRIMARY energy level can help so much! 

[apurcell]

 

Ive never thought of images in these terms. What a unique perspective. Most of my images are filled with color and I do many long exposures, star trails etc so I'd guess High Energy.

[CarolineJensen]

 

Ive never thought of images in these terms. What a unique perspective. Most of my images are filled with color and I do many long exposures, star trails etc so I'd guess High Energy.

I love these! You have both high and low energy elements....your colors are vibrant and pull in the viewer with a feast for the eyes, while the emotion in your images is more peaceful and contemplative. They are a lovely balance of the two!

To dig even deeper, I could parse out the last image and set it aside as more on the low energy side, because you feature an analogous color palette with a peaceful scene. The first image has a peaceful feel, but the vastness of the stars with the jewel-toned sky lifts the energy. 

Thank you for sharing! 

[apurcell]

I love these! You have both high and low energy elements....your colors are vibrant and pull in the viewer with a feast for the eyes, while the emotion in your images is more peaceful and contemplative. They are a lovely balance of the two!

To dig even deeper, I could parse out the last image and set it aside as more on the low energy side, because you feature an analogous color palette with a peaceful scene. The first image has a peaceful feel, but the vastness of the stars with the jewel-toned sky lifts the energy. 

Thank you for sharing! 

Thanks for your insight!

[CarolineJensen]

Thanks for your insight!

My pleasure!