Vision Drives the Photography Process

“A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.” Ralph Lauren

Having a vision for the photography project is the first step to creating something that others can be a part of. 

A vision that can be shared with others will help bring success to the photography project.

Vision motivates and empowers others to add their creative energy to the project.

Vision brings meaning to the process and helps keep the photography process on track.

"What happens inside your mind can happen inside a camera." Arno Rafael Minkkinen

The Story Draws You In

"The technology keeps moving forward, which makes it easier for the artists to tell their stories and paint the pictures they want."  George Lucas

Giving a lot of thought to the story theme helps create a project that keeps everyone interested in the development process.

I personally put a great deal of thought into my photography themes. Every project as has name and theme.

For an example, I am working on a photo shoot that will take place at O'More College in Franklin, Tennessee.

The photography project consists of shooting 8 to 10 summer fashion designs. So to help create the right creative direction the designer and I are planning how the college would work as a backdrop for the fashion shoot.

List of central themes for photography. 

Man vs Nature
Man vs Himself
Loss of Innocence
Revenge
Death as a Part of Life
The Battle
Individual vs. Society
Triumph over Adversity
Love Conquers All
Good vs. Evil

Mood Creates the Feeling

"Mankind are governed more by their feelings than by reason." Samuel Adams

The college offers an 18th century early American Victorian style of the architect. The two main buildings we will be using our southern Victorian style mansions. The these project our theme and mood we are going for is summer classic fashion.

The photo shoot will take place in November. So one of our creative challenges will be to create photography that represents summer fashion and not give off a cold, dark gloomy look of November in TN. 

To help create a summertime theme in November, we will be using props that promote a summer mood. Examples of possible props for creating a summer mood are; red and white tablecloth or a large picture of tea and bright yellow lemons.

Themes Gives Context

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
Maya Angelou

To help create the right theme in the preplanning for the fashion summer photo shoot, we will be creating mood boards with Pinterest. 

Some of the areas that we will be utilizing the Pinterest mood boards for planning prop design, makeup and hair and editing effects.

Photography Themes

A list of photographic themes helps with brainstorming and creating a discussion for planning the photography fashion shoot. 

Photography themes are a great way to organize your thoughts around the project. Having a list of themes will help with  getting the creative mind and ideas flowing photography. 

The list of photography themes listed below is some of my favorites.


Abandoned Buildings
Abstracts
Amphibian
Anger
Arches
Architecture
Autumn
Back Alleys
Bad Weather
Balloons
Bare Feet
Barns
Bicycle Parts
Bikes
Black and White
Blue
Bolts
Books
Bottles
Bridge
Bridges
Broken Glass
Bronze
Brown
Cars
Catching People Unaware
Celebrations
Choice
Church Windows
Churches
Circles
City Hall
City Skylines
City Street Scenes
Close-up
Clouds
Cold
Colours
Columns
Contrasts
Critters
Culture
Custom Cars
Dancers
Decorations
Demonstrations
Digital
Dishes
Documentary
Doors
Dots / Dashes / Diagonals
Duplicates
Easter
Eggs
Elation
Embrace
Emergency Situations
Enthusiasm / eager
Environmental Trash
Events
Eye Glasses
Eyes
Feathers
Feet
Fences
Festivals
Fire
Fire Engines
Flags
Flowers
Forms in Nature
Fountains
Framed
Freeways
Frozen
Games
Gardens
Gates
Gears
Glamour
Glass
Graceful
Graffiti
Green
Hallways
Handles
Happiness
Harvest
History
Holiday
Industrial
Inspiration
Iron
Isolated Objects
Journalistic
Joy
Junk Yards
Landscapes
Learning
Leaves
Letters
Light
Lightning
Lights
Macro
Marine life
Masks
Mass flowers
Mirrors
Money
Monuments
Mood
Movie Theater Marquees
Muse
Mushrooms
Neon Signs
Night
Night lights
Nonsense
Odd Couples
Pairs
Parallel Lines
Patterns
Peeling Paint
People
People At Work
Pictures in Pictures
Raindrops
Rainbows
Red
Red Barns
Reenactments
Reflection
Religious
Rocks
Round Things
Rows of Things
Rust
Sand dunes
Sand Patterns
Sea Shells
Seascapes
Seasons
Shadows
Shoes
Signs
Sky
Smiles
Speed
Sports
Spring
Stairs
Statues
Still life
String Instruments
Structures
Summer
Sunrise
Sunset
Tattoos
Textures
Trees
Umbrella
Uniforms
Urban
Watches
Water
Waterfalls
Weather
Wet
Wheels
White
Windows
Winter
Xylophones
Yachts
Yellow
Zig Zags
Zoos

List of emotions that can be captured in a photography project.

Happiness
Amazement
Expectant
Playfulness
Laughter
Sadness
Overwhelmed
Elated
Pride
Suspicion
Surprise
Love
Content
Joyful
Angry
Lonely
Fear

I hope, that you and I are able to work on a photography project together soon.