It’s About Time

Personal interpretation of images are wide and varied. One person may look at a picture and feel connection. Another may look at an image and feel attracted. Another may look at an image and feel jealous. Another may look at an image and feel happy. And they may all be looking at the “exact same image” and get that same range of experiences. Personal interpretation plays a huge role in how people perceive things.

Photographers of today have the challenge of conveying the message and getting the majority of viewers to harness what was intended. Having the advantage of multiple images works to develop a story. Bring in a range of perspectives and broaden the appeal. But even one image can be beyond powerful, look at the painting of the Mona Lisa. It has left people guessing for years. This painting is considered the best known, the most visited, the most written about, piece of art in the world. The Mona Lisa expression, which is frequently described as enigmatic, is capturing a unique moment in time, with subtle innuendos and positioning, has contributed to the continuing fascination of this piece of art. That is the goal of the artist, to create a fascination.

The artist and photographer of the image, ‘It’s About Time’, is Newfoundland’s own Ms. Dana Evans Metcalfe. Known for her extraordinary creativity, she is a photographer, image consultant, entrepreneur, visionary and the most recent salon owner of a new venture called Salt. Dana goes way out side the box and incorporates props, visuals, angles, and edits that bring her images to an unprecedented experience. In this photo, working with “time” her image takes the viewer down many roads of inquiry. Light, composition, texture and form melt together to open up the mind to new possibilities.

Dana’s photos very often leave the viewer wondering about what they are looking at — not because they don’t understand it but because they hold a certain intrigue. They prompt a question. They leave people imagining “What’s next”. In this time series, the story could go many ways. It’s about time. What time is it? We are running out of time. Where did the time go? I want more time. It’s a smorgasbord of suggestions and inquiries that lead viewers to want to engage further with the content it represents.

In a competing world of online media, content is king. Creating visuals and imagery that enhance experiences and provides an obvious and outward advantage is the name of the game. In the business world we tend to go for “status quo” and “normal head shots” but does that really create the appeal and engagement we are looking for? Look at the most successful publications in the world – Forbes, NY Times, Vogue, and Sports illustrated to name a few. Each one competing for readership in the very busy lives of this new multi-media era. Each one focuses on getting the highest level of engagement with the right visuals and words.

In the oil and gas industry we have a story to tell. A story that starts with the fact that we are consumers of oil products and therefore we have responsibilities to deliver oil and keep the world safe and clean at the same time. It’s not always flawless, perfect or easy but there it is. An industry that is built on the greatest minds in the world. Engineers so precise that they can build castles in the sea — at the deepest of depths.

The oil and gas industry has a story to tell about its people and what they do each day to make the world move forward. That is something to be honoured, celebrated and publicized. Don’t be afraid to go outside the box and create content and visuals that engage people in new and unprecedented ways. It is time!