TITLES ideas

Photographic Psychology: Creating Titles for Images

Making up an interesting title for an image can be an important creative aspect of photography. After all, did famous photographers ever resort to generic or bland labels for their work, or no names at all?Actually, they often did. Real ordinary titles like “East Coast Fisherman,” “White Radish,” “Nude, Campden Hill, London, 1949,” and simply “Self-portrait.”So how come these really creative people failed to conjure up a captivating title for some of their most famous photographs? Well, probably because it wasn’t necessary. The image itself was meaningful, powerful, revealing, all on its own. Maybe all they felt they needed to do was indicate the simple facts of where, when, and who, in order to provide a basic context. Then the image did the rest of the talking.There are some definite advantages to straightforward or no titles at all. It lets viewers explore the image on their own without forcing any particular interpretation. It tosses the image into their lap and encourages them to project themselves into it, creating their own meaning. No title at all can be especially effective. It’s mysterious. It teases, frustrates, challenges, lures the viewer in: “Go ahead. Figure this out.” It’s a presentation of the purely visual with no pretense of words.
On the other hand, titles of some kind are useful handles. Without one, how do you refer to an image? “It’s the shot of the bicycle, not the bicycle in the playground… the other one, you know, the bicycle on the grass, shot from below, through the spokes up at the sky.”
Wouldn’t “Spoked Sky” be easier? Especially in online photo sharing communities, where there are thousands and millions of images, titles will help you organize, identify, and discuss images, as well as make it easier for search engines to find them.And like I said at the start, titles can be an important part of the creative process. You can use a title to steer the viewer towards ideas that you really want to convey. The title can add a layer of meaning that is not immediately obvious in the photo. A title can even be playful or provocative by contradicting the qualities of the image.Some titles might pop into your mind right away. You know what the image says for you. In other cases, however, you might have to really think about it. That process can be fascinating, and valuable. You know you like the photo, but may not be sure why. Searching your mind for a title might clarify that for you. It may help you uncover the subconscious feelings, memories, and fantasies that you associate with it. Coming up with a really good title might also help you alter and refine the photo. The title gives you a direction for post processing and image manipulation. It’s an excellent exercise in bringing composition in line with the idea you want to convey.You’ll know when you have a really good title. It feels right. It “sticks.” Weeks, months, even years later, you’ll remember it. It’s a wedding of meaning and image.

WORKING TITLE (initial idea at start) Visual Change

A year in the making
How big is your foot print
A lasting imprint
The cycle of life in the city
A man made foot rug
The urban tattoo
All the details
Pictures in time
As our shoes see it
From the sole