What's In A Picture Then?

When it comes to "Getting Ready" part of the wedding, I do not interpret it in a literal way. I seldom take pictures of the makeup in progress, eg the brushes, the lipstick etc., and even if I take them, I won't post them on the blog because to me, those pictures are not what Greymatter is about.

I love pictures that tell a story. Now, "picture that tells a story" is such an oft-quoted phrase that "Yes, we know, "a picture tells a story!"

But what kind of story? Funny, sad, whimsical, trivial, deep, superficial? There are as many stories as there are many pictures. Each photographer has his/her own story to tell.

I like mine to be more layered, not so straight forward and with subtlety. I can tell you a slap-stick joke and you may laugh out loud, or I can tell you a parable and set you thinking.



I like the above "Getting Ready" shot very much because in a picture, I can see a doting father who is looking at his girl for the last time before she becomes a woman. There is pride, mixed with reluctance, and finally resignation that daddy's girl has another man in her life. The gentle and comforting hands of the relatives seem to recognise the father's pain, but at the same time their smiles say "it's ok. You are not losing a daughter, but gaining a son."

Am I reading too much into the picture? Or is it just a simple case of tapping him on the shoulder:"Mr Ho, wake up! Late already!"