Photography 1: TAOP, Ex Symbols

Project: Illustration
Exercise: Symbols

The idea of this exercise was to find symbols for a number of concepts.  Below I have suggested symbols for each concept, and added a short note for each explaining how I might use them in a photograph.


Growth  A seed or seeds starting to grow.  Although this is quite a cliché a photograph could show an acorn starting to grow with a shoot and small leaves visible.  Also plant shoots appearing through soil in spring time would symbolise growth.

Child outgrowing clothes.  A person bursting out of too small clothes could be used as a symbol of growth.

Excess  Cup running over.  Liquid poured into a cup or glass, and beginning to overflow would be a strong symbol of excess in a photograph.

Overeating.  A photograph of a person eating an excessively large sandwich would symbolise excess.

Drunken reveller lying in the street.  A person clearly drunk, lying in the street would suggest excess.

Crime  Broken window with a hand reaching in.  A photograph of a broken window in a door, with a person's hand reaching in to steal something would be symbolic of crime.

A police officer handcuffing a prisoner would symbolise that a crime may well have been committed.

Silence  Silent forest.  An image of a misty forest would suggest silence.

A still, snowy scene would impart a feeling of silence.

Silence could be symbolised in a photograph by having a person using sign language toward to viewer.

Poverty  Down and out begging.  A photograph of a down and out or tramp begging on the street would symbolise poverty.

Hungry children.  Children shown looking thin a staring at an empty plate would imply poverty.

Coins in a hand.  A few, low value coins held in a dirty hand would give the impression of poverty.

What have I learned from this exercise?

In order to symbolise a particular concept in a photograph without being either too clichéd or too obscure is quite difficult.  In order to work, the symbol must be recognisable.  The best way to come up with an original photograph is to research the subject thoroughly and too think laterally.