Introduction

            Photography is “one of the most complex and problematic forms of representation (Jones, 2001).” In this digital age, photography serves as a medium which not only captures moments, objects and sceneries, but also stories in social evolution, cultural diversity, and human connection. The power of an image to evoke emotions and thought cannot be ignored. This paper discusses the relationship between photography and social narratives, exploring the role of photography in conveying social narratives, drawing from personal experiences of street photography during travels, and supported by academic and non-academic research. The paper mainly focuses on analyzing photos from different cities and regions that present people’s daily lives and city development, including photos taken in California, the US, Sheffield, the UK, Wuhan, China, etc. The photos are classified into two perspectives: a macro perspective, City Views on Train, and a micro perspective, Street Views focusing on Individual Connections. Both provide a glimpse of how photography serves as a tool to show cultural and social similarities and differences.

            The relationship between photography and social narratives is interactive. Photographers capture unusual moments in society, documenting them through their lenses, while viewers may interpret and understand these photographs, discovering details that might not be noticed during the initial photography process. Within this process, the photographer acts both as a documentarian, capturing the scene, and as a curator, carefully selecting specific details. This dual role allows for a deeper exploration of social narratives, as photographing becomes an observation and commentary, and the viewing process transforms into an exercise in analysis and interpretation.


City Views on Train: A Macro Perspective

            In just two short years with my camera, I have been able to instinctively record the landscapes of three different countries on the train: from Wuhan to Shanghai, China; from Davis to San Jose, CA, the US; from Sheffield to London, the UK (Figure 1.). Capturing these fleeting moments, I realized that, despite being taken in completely different countries, they all maintain a certain similarity. I arranged selected photos vertically, from left to right, to represent the landscapes of these three regions. I consciously place scenes as similar as possible in the same row. For example, the second row contains some obvious structure like bridges, the third depicts some industrial settings, forth shows some rivers, among others. This arrangement allows viewers to intuitively see and contemplate the scenes and connect them to some social factors, such as population density, geographic environment, and infrastructure development in a given region.

            The first aspect to notice is the varying weather. In the first column, the trip from Wuhan to Shanghai, we can see a transition from bright sunshine to cloudy and experienced a period of rain. This variability may reflect the train’s rapid speed, quickly passing through diverse microclimates. In contrast, the second column, depicting the trip from Davis to San Jose in California, had enough sunshine, aligning with a prevalent perception of the state’s sunny “stereotype.” Lastly, the third column depicts a cold and damp day in the UK, also consistent with the region’s stereotypical weather patterns.

2022 - 2023

Figure 1. Three sets of photos taken on the train. 1st Column: from Wuhan to Shanghai, China, July. 2023; 2nd Column: from Davis to San Jose, CA, the US, June. 2022; 3rd Column: from Sheffield to London, the UK, Dec. 2022. Camera: Sony RX100M7

            In the first column, representing east China, we see a countryside view with a wide river, and an expansive view of a solar farm, which suggests a blend of natural beauty, resource management, and renewable energy initiatives. We can also have a glance of a city’s view with buildings orderly and densely arranged, which represent the population density in China. The second column, taken in the US, presents a different narrative, depicting vast open fields, a bridge view, and an industrial zone bustling with activity. The infrastructures represent economic and engineering achievements in north California. The last column, displaying scenes from the UK, presents a more peaceful relationship between nature and human habitation. The rolling hills with livestock, the quiet of rural train tracks, and a more restrained industrial setting, perhaps reflect a society deeply rooted in tradition and history, maintaining a balance between progress and preservation.

            However, these scenes can only provide a limited glimpse of a region, and I didn’t intentionally set this theme in mind when taking the photos. Instead, I took the photos spontaneously and later thought of creating a set for comparison, aiming to stimulate reflection and bring resonance to people who see these photos. Living in different countries for two years always brings unexpected journeys. The greatest reward is gaining a different perspective on how to view things. Some scenes that were once overly familiar became vivid again after returning to my home country after two years. Some street views that I had taken for granted, I now realize are unique to this place. This may be because when traveling in a foreign country, I found these scenes interesting, as I hadn’t seen them before or had only seen them on a screen, so I wanted to take a closer look. But upon returning to my home country and looking at familiar yet unfamiliar scenes, I suddenly realized that these scenes also have a countdown, so I should also take a closer look.

Street Views focusing on Individual Connections: A Micro Perspective

Figure 2. Three photos taken in different countries. Top left was taken in Sheffield, Dec. 2022; top right was taken in Wuhan July. 2021; bottom one was taken in Santa Cruz, Dec. 2021. All focusing on people.  Camera: Sony RX100M7, Ricoh GR2

            The top left scene was photographed in a commercial area, given the storefronts and signage. The people are bundled up, suggesting a cool climate. The variety of clothes, from casual hoodie to overcoat, represents a diversity of lifestyles in this urban space. The pedestrians’ engagement with the environment and one another seems less, which might show a modern busy individualistic city life, where people often focus on their own routines or destinations.

            Compared to the Sheffield photo, the image from Wuhan presents a scene of group leisure and relaxation. A group of men sits outside, enjoying playing cards and engaging in conversations in a residential area with traditional architecture and a relaxed atmosphere. The presence of the electromobile, a small and flexible transportation, suggests that this is a dense urban neighborhood. This image captures a glimpse of communal life in Chinese culture, where public spaces often become extensions of personal living areas, a sense of community and collective lifestyle.

            The photograph from Santa Cruz depicts a family life at a beachside. The chill and relaxed vibe represents an iconic California coastal city’s outdoor lifestyle. Adults are seen sitting or standing around, supervising the children at play, showing a family-friendly environment that values leisure and nature. It’s a representation of California recreational culture, where public spaces are designed to provide a break from the urban life and to connect with nature.

Discussion

            The intricate relationship between photography and social narratives, as explored by Ray (2020), underscores photography’s significant role in both documenting and conveying the perception of modern urban life. Based on Simmel’s viewpoint, “the image is a product of a process of social formation,” Ray claims that the metropolis is not only a physical space but also a complex sociological entity that photography uniquely captures and interprets, including presenting “the existence of historical narratives through the absence of elements and things (Hasanpur, 2020).”

            To better understand the multifaceted perspectives of viewing a photograph, considering the distinct positions of those involved in and around the photograph can be a way, such as the person who records, the person being recorded, and the person who doesn’t take part in the photographing experience. For photographers, they choose what to include and what to exclude, conveying the narrative of the photograph. This process is influenced by their personal biases, intentions, and aesthetic preference; just like Barthes’ (1981) idea of the photographer: Operator (to do); Spectator (to look); and Object (to undergo). By adjusting focus, playing with lighting, and experimenting with angles, photographers create social narratives through their lens, operating with the contents they want to convey. For an observer or narrative researcher, who does not directly participate in the creation of the photograph but only does analysis and interpretation, their external viewpoint allows for fresh insights based on their own experiences, knowledge, and even biases, discovering meaning not intended by the photographer or perceived by the subjects. For people being recorded, they might not choose to be shot at this moment, but the naturality and occasionally of their poses, expressions, and interactions can reflect broader social roles, power structures, and individual identities. According to Barthes’ opinion, when I’m in the scene and record the surroundings, I become the operator, selecting fragments of reality based on my personal cognition and background. An example is the photo of men playing cards in Wuhan, which initially caught my eye before my studies in the US. Returning to this image after three years studying in a different country, I realized that it perfectly shows a traditional Chinese way for elders to relax, which is rarely seen in Western culture. Through this micro environment, a broader macro culture is reflected. Initially, I was dissatisfied with the cropping which was partially blocked by a pillar, and I dared not walk past again to take another photo. However, two friends with no photography experience, as spectators, shifted my view. One grew up in China and had lived in the US for over 10 years suggests that the crop’s uniqueness enhanced the photo, and what it supposed to convey had already been delivered. The other one live in Wuhan for her whole life said that if I don’t mention the unusual size of the photo, she won’t even notice this. She only focusses on how interesting the men’s facial expressions are. These interactions highlight how personal biases and aesthetic preferences shape the social narrative to a same object.

            The exploration of different roles has also led me to think about what photographers and narrative researchers have in common and how they differ (Ray, 2020). Both require attention to details aesthetically and sociologically; however, photographers can also play a role in narrative research during the second photo adjustment stage, by reviewing their photos, and providing a framework through which the social, cultural, and aesthetic dimensions of life can be examined and understood (Ray, 2020). Not intentionally making the photo collection in mind when taking the city view photos on the train can be an example. Initially, I was immersed in the scene, and simply captured what I felt fresh and what gave me an impression following my instinct. It was only after the third train trip that I realized that these three different trips maintained some characteristics of different countries in a macro way, such as the weather, the landform, and how the city, agriculture, farming developed. As I edited and assembled those photos together, my role shifted from a photographer to a narrative speaker, giving new insights to the photos.

Conclusion

            In conclusion, each photo is like a window offering us a glimpse of social stories, depicting humans’ living styles, social evolution, and nation development according to the diverse contexts, not only not just an act of capturing moments. Whether viewed from the macro perspective of city landscapes or the micro perspective of individual interactions, photography can help us to see the world differently. It serves as a bridge to connect people from different places, inviting us to view the familiar scene with fresh eyes and the foreign scene with curiosity.

Reference

1.    Ray, L. (2020). Social theory, photography and the visual aesthetic of cultural modernity. Cultural Sociology, 14(2), 139–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/1749975520910589
2.     Jones, P. W. (2001). Oxford university press. Oxford Music Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.20622
3.    Ketelle, D. (2014). The ground they walk on: Photography and narrative inquiry. The Qualitative Report. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2010.1164
4.     Barthes, R. (1981). Camera lucida. New York: Hill & Wang.
5.     Hasanpur, M. (2020). The social analysis of absence in historical narratives of photography. Bagh-e Nazar, 17(92), 69-82.