Suggestive vs Narrative

May 12, 2023 issue #49 – What type of photographer are you?

Narrative Photography and Suggestive Photography are two distinct genres of photography that have different goals and objectives. Narrative photography tells a story, while Suggestive photography evokes a feeling or emotion.

Narrative photography is often used in journalism and documentary photography to tell a story about a particular event or issue. The photographer will use their camera to capture images that document that particular event or issue. Then they will use the images to create a narrative that tells the story. Narrative photography can be used to inform, educate, or persuade the viewer.

My photograph of this protester was done in a narrative fashion.

Suggestive Photography, on the other hand, is not as concerned with telling a story as it is with evoking a feeling or emotion in the viewer. The photographer will use their camera to capture images that are visually striking and that evoke a particular feeling or emotion. Suggestive photography can be used to create a sense of beauty, mystery, or even fear.

I was bored one evening and took long exposures of shows on my television screen. The results were abstract and often suggestive, as is the above of a stadium concert.

That’s not to say that a narrative project cannot also evoke emotion or that suggestive imagery cannot ultimately inform. There is a crossover and overlap between the two. Knowing about them and deciding which way to approach a project – that is, in a narrative way or in a suggestive way – will ultimately help you more effectively convey whatever it is you need to via your photographs.