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Author Topic: Is a picture worth a thousand words?  (Read 1360 times)

EduPerez

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Is a picture worth a thousand words?
« on: October 17, 2009, 05:28:33 pm »

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. However, I have this crazy theory of mine, which states that the _less_ words a picture inspires, the _better_ the picture is; let me explain this with some (imaginary) examples:
  • Exhibit #1: A fuzzy picture of a demon-red-eyed girl, with her mouth half open, and completely washed out because of the overuse of flash; she seems to be at a party, but the background is so dark that could be anywhere  => delete it.
  • Exhibit #2: Some kids happily playing on a wet grass field => keep it.
  • Exhibit #3: A very old man, smoking => a good photograph.
  • Exhibit #4: A nice waterfall => a very good photograph.
  • Exhibit #5: Quietness => an amazing photograph.
  • Exhibit #6: (speechless) => a masterpiece.
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Ray

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Is a picture worth a thousand words?
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2009, 07:13:50 pm »

Quote from: EduPerez
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. However, I have this crazy theory of mine, which states that the _less_ words a picture inspires, the _better_ the picture is; let me explain this with some (imaginary) examples:
  • Exhibit #1: A fuzzy picture of a demon-red-eyed girl, with her mouth half open, and completely washed out because of the overuse of flash; she seems to be at a party, but the background is so dark that could be anywhere  => delete it.
  • Exhibit #2: Some kids happily playing on a wet grass field => keep it.
  • Exhibit #3: A very old man, smoking => a good photograph.
  • Exhibit #4: A nice waterfall => a very good photograph.
  • Exhibit #5: Quietness => an amazing photograph.
  • Exhibit #6: (speechless) => a masterpiece.

Perhaps a more relevant criterion would be to ask how many words it would take to describe in detail the content, subject, mood and implied narrative in any photo so that a skilled painter, for example, might reproduce it as a painting without ever having seen the photo.

I have a Chinese friend who still believes this phrase is attributed to Confucius, when in fact there's no evidence for this. It appears that the earliest record of the use of this phrase is in an article by the American, Fred Barnard, published in the advertising journal, Printer's Ink, in 1921, initially as 'One look is worth a thousand words', and later as, 'A picture is worth a thousand words'.

Many masterpieces, painting or photos, have inspired millions of words. If a work leaves you speechless, it could be because it's so utterly bad   .
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