Tag Archives: Practical photography

Simple ideas about using hands to capture the eye

"Time may give you more than your poor bones could ever take" by Janine Young, on Flickr

"Time may give you more than your poor bones could ever take"
by Janine Young, on Flickr
"Time may give you more than your poor bones could ever take"
by Janine Young, on FlickrExternal link - opens new tab/page

To catch the eye, capture emotion…

…something you can do with hands. They are so expressive. We rely on them for communication and they can evoke a lot of emotion. Here are some ideas to get you started photographing them.

What to look for

To find the maximum impact with hands you need to look for common gestures that we all know. The ones that convey something powerful. Giving, receiving, accepting, soothing, feeling, experiencing, sharing, reaching… I am sure you get the idea. So how do we do that? Well, we need to find ways to put the hands in those expressive positions we all know. Then, to complete the picture, place them in the context of something that sparks off our memory of something effective.

The joining of hands means a lot to all of us. A particular case in point is where protection is inferred. The feeling of security is so important to children. We know it when we see it and it invokes deep emotion…

• Hand By Hand • by mikeyarmish, on Flickr

• Hand By Hand • by mikeyarmish, on Flickr
• Hand By Hand • by mikeyarmish, on Flickr External link - opens new tab/page

When photographing special subjects, like hands, the power of the picture is enhanced by great composition. The slight tension created between the adult and child by the out-stretched hands is a strong message. It’s protection, but nearly ready to let go. That’s a special moment in our development, beautifully documented by that slight stretch. And, it is emphasised by the dynamic angle. Upward left-right angles/slopes in Western culture indicate dynamic, powerful, uplifting feelings.

It is so often the case in all forms of art that one can say such a lot with very little. I think of this as a sort of “light touch” in composition. The more you can imply and still convey the message the more you seem to be able to say.

• Limosna • by croqueta0, on Flickr

limosna by croqueta0, on Flickr
• Limosna • by croqueta0, on FlickrExternal link - opens new tab/page

We see only a little of the hand in the last picture. Yet, we all recognise it as an act of devotion. The power of the message is timeless, especially with the number of other burnt-out candles nearby. A great deal is implied in the image conjured up in the mind, but actually the statement is very slight in picture. The moodiness of the light level is all the more evocative of the occasion.

While just picturing the hands can be so expressive, we should not neglect the whole picture. In association with the rest of the body the hands play a vital part in communication. Look at how this self portrait obviously conveys personal feelings. The text gives you the depth of that feeling. I would have got the inner angst-of-teenager just from the hands and the expression (barely seen). The hands are part of the message. A lovely little story and simply told…

• You were sixteen when you fell in love • by Tangolarina, on Flickr

• You were sixteen when you fell in love • by Tangolarina, on Flickr
• You were sixteen when you fell in love • by Tangolarina, on FlickrExternal link - opens new tab/page

A charming little poem comes with the picture too. You can see it on the Flickr page  External link - opens new tab/page for this image.

Hands, like any other part of the body are open to photoshop activity. While slightly creepy, I like this next image. It shows us just how some standard signs can be so expressive. Clever work with the light and some nice cloning work too…

Hand meets Hands by PicVince, on Flickr

Hand meets Hands by PicVince, on Flickr
Hand meets Hands by PicVince, on Flickr External link - opens new tab/page

Finally, one should not underestimate the power of the hands to express the character of the subject. Old hands say so much about a persons life and inner strength…

• Hands of 87 years • by gaspi *yg, on Flickr

• Hands of 87 years • by gaspi *yg, on Flickr
• Hands of 87 years • by gaspi *yg, on FlickrExternal link - opens new tab/page

Hands can say it all…

In this short commentary I hope that I have shown some of the ways you can express a lot in your image. The power of hands is not just in their expression, but context, age, condition… and endless other things. I can think of many things that have been missed from this list – gloves, work, rings, nails… and many more. I hope that this has started you thinking about some images you could do with hands. I would love to see what you come up with. Send us some links… Contact Us

find out more...Photokonnexion tips by email
If you enjoyed this article please sign up for our
daily email service.
                                                 Find out more
#11030#

By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Damon Guy - Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photog and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photographers.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.