How to Add Tension to Your Photography

Photography Tips

Your photographs are merely snapshots if the viewers do not engage with them. You don’t want the viewer to simply glance at your photos and say they look nice. Instead, aim to make viewers pause when they look at your photos; make them take some time to wander through them. The question then becomes, how do you do that? In today’s video, photographer James Popsys answers this exact question. He shares some ideas on how you can make your photographs pose questions:

A general principle to follow is to take photos about things, rather than of things. When you take photos about things, you invest more of your time and resources into curating a story, which is exactly what you need to take engaging photographs. Also, it is important to keep in mind that you don’t just give out all the answers in your photos. Instead, your photos should ask questions. These questions will invoke curiosity and work as a speed bump to engage your viewers.

“In order to have attention on your photos, the main thing you need is tension.”

Now you might say that creating tension is comparatively easier when people are involved, as is the case with street photography. This is true to a certain extent. But it’s also perfectly possible with landscape photography. For instance, as Popsys shares in the video, you can shoot a mountain covered with clouds, creating mystery about the height of the mountain.

Popsys shares more examples of how you can create tension in your images to engage people, so be sure to watch the full video.