Have you ever looked at a photograph, and a fitting sound immediately started playing in your head? The soundtrack of a photograph has the power to transform a static image into a dynamic and emotionally charged experience.
In visual storytelling, music and photography can create a powerful emotional experience for the audience. The fitting soundtrack can elevate a photograph, evoking many emotions and enhancing its narrative. Exploring the common synergies between themselves, they allow each other the freedom to interpret and derive meaning uniquely.
The Decisive Moment
Photographers possess an innate sense of capturing an image at the perfect instant, skillfully adjusting composition, lighting, and environmental factors to evoke the desired impact. They capture “the decisive moment” as the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson coins. This skill mirrors in musicians through knowing exactly when and where the rhythm is and understanding when to prolong, soften, or intensify certain musical elements to make a profound impression on the listener. These two mediums come together to create a lasting impact in their respective art forms.
In celebration of Fête de la Musique, also known in English as World Music Day, we showcase the importance of music in photography through a selection of IMAGO’s extensive image library and Cézame Music Agency’s diverse playlists, provide tips on how to choose music that amplifies the visual story and leave an open door to complete the music in your head with selected photographs.
How to Choose the Fitting Sound to an Image
Although choosing music that goes with the image is subjective, compatibility can be prioritized for an uplifting story. By carefully selecting the right sound that aligns with a photograph’s mood, subject, and overall message, photographers and music agencies can create a harmonious union that captivates and resonates with the audience.
A vibrant and exhilarating moment captured in the photograph of Argentinian fans celebrating their team’s victory in the World Cup comes with an equally energetic and passionate soundtrack. Choosing genres that evoke the spirit of celebration and ignite a sense of collective joy can unleash the power of the image. While the dynamic nature of sports photography requires upbeat and powerful tracks, an urban city stroll image can be complemented by electronic or jazz-infused tracks.
The punk subculture depicted in the photographs of 80s East Berlin can go hand in hand with rebellious, post-punk sounds to relive the moments.
Bold images set the bold beats, like powerful documentary photographs capturing a moment of social unrest. The driving force of an energetic, bass-heavy track with electronic elements or an empowering hip-hop song can heighten the intensity and reveal the subject’s inner strength. Or an image that points out a social crisis and evokes empathy can be completed with more gentle, melancholic sounds.
The right soundtrack can breathe life into the still images, evoking emotions and amplifying the narrative.
