How to Use and Incorporate Symbolism in Photography

A powerful way to convey emotions and ideas, symbolism in photography adds levels of significance to images. It invites the viewer to interpret and engage with different symbols to draw deeper meaning from just one image.

Symbolism refers to the expression of a concept through visual suggestion. We use objects, shapes, and colors to suggest deeper significance and convey abstract thoughts or emotions. Through symbolic photography and the use of various elements, photographers evoke passions, arouse critical thinking, and reveal universal concepts.

In this article, we’ll explore the history of symbolism in art, the use of color, shape, and natural elements as symbols, and how those symbols shape our perception of images.

History of Symbolism in Art

From ancient cave paintings to Medieval and Renaissance art masterpieces, symbols evolved to reflect the cultural, social, and political contexts of their time. Cave dwellers of the Ice Age included hearts, beasts, hands, and other shapes in their drawings. Egyptians decorated temple walls with symbols such as the eye, bird, lotus flower, and scarab.

For early Christians, the fish symbolized their faith; later, the cross became the universally recognized symbol of the followers of Jesus.

Renaissance art employed colors, fruits, and animals. The Birth of Venus used common symbols of the Renaissance period, including the sea, flowers, a scallop shell, and Venus as the embodiment of feminine beauty. 

Photographers incorporate symbolism into their artwork, drawing from the past, the culture of their time, and their own unique experiences. This practice makes symbolism essential to photography as visual art. Photographers place symbols or visual cues in their work to convey complex ideas, provoke thought, and connect with the viewer. Symbols give photographers a rich visual language to apply to their art.

The Symbolism of Color

Colors convey ideas, various meanings, and emotions in different cultures and have been used in art for centuries. As an example, blue represents tranquility and stability, often associated with the sky and ocean. 

Red is a common symbol of love and passion. But red symbolizes death or a warning in some African countries and fertility or good fortune in Asia. In western cultures, a red door is a sign of welcome.

Green often appears as a symbol of growth, harmony, and luck in fine art and photography. A great example is wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day. Meanwhile, yellow represents happiness, positivity, and energy; yellow is a versatile choice to symbolize warmth and optimism.

White symbolizes innocence and simplicity, frequently used to represent purity. In addition, the combination of black and white can symbolize contrast and timelessness in visual arts, evoking a sense of nostalgia or creating a mood of mystery and drama.

Overall, the use of colors as symbols in photography is a powerful tool for conveying emotions, messages, and cultural significance.

Geometric Shapes Have Symbolic Meanings

Shapes play a significant role in photography, as they convey a deeper meaning and evoke emotions in the viewer. For example, we associate circles with unity, wholeness, and eternity. They symbolize harmony, perfection, or the cyclical nature of life. On the other hand, triangles symbolize stability, balance, and progression. By including triangular shapes in a photograph, the artist expresses the idea of strength, growth, or hierarchy.

Squares and rectangles are often seen as symbols of order, structure, and stability. They represent concepts like security, conformity, or organization. Additionally, spirals are symbolic objects of growth, evolution, and transformation. They convey ideas of development, journey, or renewal.

Other shapes find their way into symbolic images. For example, the heart symbol expresses strong feelings of love and affection. A diamond shape represents strength and precision. A puzzle piece carries powerful symbolic meaning and may evoke feelings of complexity and mystery.

These symbolic shapes add visual interest to photographs. By understanding the meanings behind these symbolic shapes, photographers enhance the storytelling aspect of their images and create impactful visual narratives.

Exploring Symbolism in Nature

Animals, plant life, water, fire, and other natural elements give special meaning to images. A bird in flight may represent freedom and liberation. A lion symbolizes courage and nobility.

Plants and flowers evoke a variety of themes. A rose means love and beauty; a sunflower denotes warmth and happiness; daisies are a token of friendship.

A flowing river may represent the passage of time and the inevitability of change. A tree can symbolize resilience and strength.

Weather phenomena are powerful symbols. Lightning, wielded by Zeus in Greek mythology, signals abrupt illumination and destruction of ignorance. The Rainbow signifies hope and diversity, representing harmony or the calm after a storm.

Everyday Objects to Use for Symbolism In Photography

Everyday objects serve as powerful symbols in photography, conveying deeper meanings and emotions beyond their literal representation. By incorporating these items into compositions, photographers add depth to the visual narrative.

Rings embody the idea of commitment and eternity, particularly in a setting of marriage and relationships. Wedding photographers always get shots of the rings.

A clock or hourglass indicates the passing of time, seasonal change, and the continuous progression of life. Also, these items symbolize structure and order. Mirrors illustrate more than just a physical reflection; they symbolize lofty goals such as truth and introspection.

Candles signify hope and enlightenment. In some cultures, lighting a candle is a ritual of remembrance. Books elicit the authority of the written word, knowledge, and literacy. Keys imply access, unlocking potential, and possessing authority. Chairs may symbolize status and power, especially an ornate chair such as a throne.

Symbols of Death

Throughout history, signs and icons have been used to symbolize death. The cloaked and hooded grim reaper with his scythe is well known. Others include the skull, vulture, bat, and jackal. In Mexico, La Catrina is the icon of the Day of the Dead.

Eternal Life Symbols

The Tao symbol, the tree of life, and the phoenix are universal symbols of creation, new beginnings, and the cycle of birth and death. Others include the lotus flower, butterfly, and Fleur-de-lis.

The Symbol of Hospitality

The pineapple decorated bed posts and tablecloths in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was meant to welcome guests. Today, the pineapple is widely recognized as the symbol of the hospitality industry.

Human Gestures and Their Meaning in Various Cultures

Gestures include a variety of bodily movements, a form of non-verbal communication. These signals and how they are perceived in different cultures are important to understanding symbolism and how to employ it in symbolic photography.

A handshake means agreement and mutual respect, a gesture of brotherhood and cooperation. The OK sign is regarded as rude in some parts of the world but means approval in the West.

Thumbs Up signals approval in the West, but offends people in the Middle East and Asia. Meanwhile, Thumbs Down denotes disapproval or failure in the U.S. and Europe. But in Ancient Rome it was a sign of mercy and could allow a defeated gladiator to live.

The V shape with two fingers is associated with victory or peace in Western cultures. It means happiness to the Japanese and Koreans. In Western cultures, pointing with the index finger indicates direction or serves to draw attention; however, Asians consider it impolite.

The Shaka sign, extending the thumb and little finger, began as a friendly Hawaiian greeting and is now associated with surf and pop culture.

How to Use Symbolism in Photography

Photographers utilize symbolism by incorporating objects or elements that imply significance. Careful placement of symbols within their images, along with meaningful composition and lighting, can create visual narratives that resonate, even if it’s on a subconscious level.

A single dominant color evokes an emotion, such as using red to imply passion. A lone tree on a hillside may represent solitude. The meaning of a broken mirror could be fragmentation or bad luck.

With careful arrangement of lighting in photography, we can use light and shadows symbolically. Harsh, direct lighting may embody power, while softer, diffused lighting can evoke feelings of tranquility.

The composition may convey a deeper meaning. By carefully arranging elements within the frame, photographers can create visual narratives that go beyond literal interpretation. Through the use of techniques such as leading lines and the rule of thirds, photographers guide the viewer’s eye and add layers of different meaning to the image.

Make New Symbols

Developing our own symbolism not only propels our creativity, but it also helps our cultures develop new symbols. Take something from your experience, something that resonates with you, and apply it in your own work. 

My attempt at symbolic photography is below. At first glance, it’s just an old fence and weeds. But in my mind, it’s a symbolic photo of the lifecycle. The decaying fence symbolizes death and the vines are a rebirth. At least, that’s what I wanted to convey. We all perceive visual experiences in our own way.

Conclusion

Photography utilizes symbols to convey meanings and sentiments. Symbolism in photos can be found in a color, an object, and how an image is composed. Use of a specific color palette evokes certain moods or themes. Inclusion of symbolic objects enhances meaning. How we frame a photograph contributes to its significance. Overall, symbolism invites viewers to interpret and connect with the images on a more profound and deeper level.

I hope this article gives you a better understanding of symbolism in photography. Its meaning and use in photography enhances the visual arts and your creative realities. If you have any comments or questions, please submit them in the space below.

Take Away

With the use of colors, objects, composition, and lighting, photographers use symbolism to add layers of significance to their images, making them more meaningful, impactful, and thought-provoking.