A Picture’s Worth a Few Hundred Words

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ne else see that? It’s the details that tell the real story.Photo FishingYep, I said it, photo fishing. It’s a thing. I made it up. Tell your friends. So what is it? It’s a way to go about finding a picture that strikes your fancy. Go to any photo sharing site and type in a word…any word. I used Pixabay and typed in the word “bar”. I ran through a bunch of random photos, but this one jumped out at me.Another place to go photo fishing is in your own backyard. When was the last time you got out Grandma’s old photo album? Remember those pictures with the little sticky corner pieces and the yellowed photographs? Who were those people? What were they doing? What comes to mind when you look at them?An Eye For DetailAs writers, we’re always told to “show, don’t tell”. This is where you can excel in this practice. Get into the picture. What was it about the photo that caught your attention? The photo above drew me in as it was the only black and white photo in a sea of color. I quickly scanned through it and loved the antique look and feel. Then I noticed the car and questions started filling

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my mind.In those old family photos, there are hundreds of ideas to write about. What was big news in that era? Who were the popular celebrities? What brand names made their appearance in those pictures? Why did Aunt Lulu always wear that same dress to family gatherings? Use all your senses.Photo FinishJot down 3 or 4 ideas. For instance, was there a real Boston Mountains Land Office? Who was R.R. Crawford? Is this a piece of history or just a tourist trap? Why did this picture pop up in a search for “bars” when there isn’t a bar in sight? You take it from there.Once you have a solid idea, run with it. Do a little research on your topic and see what else you can find. It’s easy to come up with a couple more ideas as you do so. You could potentially make a complete series on your idea.We are a highly visual society. However, sometimes we miss the details in the bigger picture. Give it a try. Look through a few photographs and find something that jumps out at you. Focus on the little things and use them to your advantage. Get creative, it’s just an idea.© Christine Graves 2020</article></body>

A Picture’s Worth a Few Hundred Words

Finding writing ideas in images

Have you ever looked at a random photo and wondered when it was taken or where the event took place? One of the more creative ways of finding writing ideas I’ve done is by looking at pictures. Just random stuff I find online or in catalogs. I once wrote a poem called The Carousel Horse Umbrella because of a picture of…well…that. It wasn’t great but I was writing.

In the picture above, what do you see? I’m sure you see the old-styled building, the antique lampposts, the scripted signs. But what else do you see? Do you see the modern lights just under the large sign? Or the car, anyone else see that? It’s the details that tell the real story.

Photo Fishing

Yep, I said it, photo fishing. It’s a thing. I made it up. Tell your friends. So what is it? It’s a way to go about finding a picture that strikes your fancy. Go to any photo sharing site and type in a word…any word. I used Pixabay and typed in the word “bar”. I ran through a bunch of random photos, but this one jumped out at me.

Another place to go photo fishing is in your own backyard. When was the last time you got out Grandma’s old photo album? Remember those pictures with the little sticky corner pieces and the yellowed photographs? Who were those people? What were they doing? What comes to mind when you look at them?

An Eye For Detail

As writers, we’re always told to “show, don’t tell”. This is where you can excel in this practice. Get into the picture. What was it about the photo that caught your attention? The photo above drew me in as it was the only black and white photo in a sea of color. I quickly scanned through it and loved the antique look and feel. Then I noticed the car and questions started filling my mind.

In those old family photos, there are hundreds of ideas to write about. What was big news in that era? Who were the popular celebrities? What brand names made their appearance in those pictures? Why did Aunt Lulu always wear that same dress to family gatherings? Use all your senses.

Photo Finish

Jot down 3 or 4 ideas. For instance, was there a real Boston Mountains Land Office? Who was R.R. Crawford? Is this a piece of history or just a tourist trap? Why did this picture pop up in a search for “bars” when there isn’t a bar in sight? You take it from there.

Once you have a solid idea, run with it. Do a little research on your topic and see what else you can find. It’s easy to come up with a couple more ideas as you do so. You could potentially make a complete series on your idea.

We are a highly visual society. However, sometimes we miss the details in the bigger picture. Give it a try. Look through a few photographs and find something that jumps out at you. Focus on the little things and use them to your advantage. Get creative, it’s just an idea.