Are Photos Which Tell a Story ...

[Sparrow]

... intrinsically superior to those which do not?

Personally, I think that both are equally valid, and can't understand what all the fuss is about.

... sorry if I got the grammar and spelling rightly, I don't want the charpering omi on my dish ... knowingly

 

[rbiemer]

No. And, yes I also agree that both sides of this artificial dichotomy are valid approaches to photography.
Rob

 

[shadowfox]

Superior photos evoke a thought.
That thought may then in turn evoke a feeling, a memory, and yes, sometimes a story.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

Superior photos evoke a thought.

How do you define superior, in this context?

I would have thought that, in a world saturated with images of all sorts, it's a more or less random event that one particular image captures your attention. In which case, might you turn it round and say that you find an image superior if it invokes thought in you?

 

[shadowfox]

How do you define superior, in this context?

I would have thought that, in a world saturated with images of all sorts, it's a more or less random event that one particular image captures your attention. In which case, might you turn it round and say that you find an image superior if it invokes thought in you?

That definition works for me.

 

[Sylvester]

Photography can go from totally abstract to documentary...
And don't forget photography is contemporary art... the process and the visual impact is much more important than the rest...
I prefer photographs that stop the viewer and make them think about it... just like a painting, a sculpture or anything else...

 

[NicoM]

I think you can have good photos that tell a story/evoke an emotion and good photos that are purely visually/technically sound. I don't think that you can have a photo that is memorable and will stand the test of time (I'm talking about a photo that will be talked about for decades) unless it excels in both.