The definition of mood
The Oxford Dictionary defines mood as:
' • noun 1 a temporary state of mind. 2 a fit of bad temper or depression. 3
the atmosphere of a work of art. 4 grammar a form or category of a verb
expressing fact, command, question, wish, or conditionality.'
All are valid, though the second definition might, in fact, have a negative
implication (a person who is said to be 'moody' isn’t normally seen as a
stable character) and I personally do not agree fully with it because, after
all, there is such a thing as a good mood.
But definitely, mood has to do with the psyche of a person.
In our art form, that person is the photographer.
Over time the technique of photography has changed greatly, from the Kodak
Brownie to the digital camera. But one thing has not changed, and that is
the creativity that can be achieved. But what separates a good photograph
from a great one? Technical skill is certainly important but is by no means
the determining criteria. As we said before, a technically superb photograph
can be emotionless and flat if attention is not being given to the message
it is intended to portray that is, to the non-verbal communication it is
supposed to convey.
In fact, the number one determining factor for a great photograph is mood;
the emotion conveyed in one image can, and should speak to the viewer and
portray what the photographer was feeling in the moment that the image was
taken.
One would here realise, then, that mood is personal. Yes, but not only to
the photographer, but also to the viewer, the receiving end of the
communication. Is the viewer perceptible to the mood the photographer is
trying to pass on? A true photograph does this, but it can also do more, for
the viewer has their own mood in their own right too. So I would go even a
step further here by saying that a great photograph should involve the
viewer too, make them part of the image and bring out in them their own
interpretations.
As we all know, it is very fascinating to listen to what others have to say
on our photographs and this is why we all feel compelled to show them to
others, to share our vision…not only ours as the photographers but also
theirs – the magic of photography.
Failure of the logical model
The human being has always felt compelled to transmit their emotions.
Photography is but one way of doing so. Yes, there are guidelines by which
we try to judge images, born out of our logical frame of mind with which we
have been taught to think.
Everything we do in life we try to explain by a logical method. True? The
logic within our head tells us to determine the quality of something by
comparing with something else. In a way, our logical frame of mind makes us
describe things relatively. But is everything explained as such? Think about
it…if I were to tell you a joke, am I guaranteed you are going to find it
amusing? No, of course not. Then why is it that some persons may in fact
find it amusing while others do not?
It is not logical. Our thinking model fails here. Same with all emotions.
How do we explain love? Anger? This is the subjectivity of the art. Which,
in reality, brings into perspective the strict adherence to guidelines.
(Note that I call them guidelines, not rules – rules are there to strictly
obeyed, guidelines are there to give you direction). Number one question we
should pose to ourselves when viewing an image – Do we like this image or
not? Only when we have the answer to this question must we proceed to
analyse why.
Analogies with other art forms
Indeed, the same is true in other art forms: poetry, lyrics, books, cinema.
Think about it.
As an example, let us consider writing and its different forms. In order to
set the mood in their story, the author must use description, dialogue and
action. Though novels and short stories are both categorised as prose, and
both contain the essential elements of such, they are extremely different
methods of writing. Novels are typically between 70,000 and 100,000 words,
while short stories are rarely more than 10,000 words. Because of the vast
differences in length, writers of short stories must weave their tales much
more concisely than authors of novels. Unlike in the case of novels, the
writer has much less time to effectively describe the setting and
characters, but must do so in order for the plot to take off. A story
consisting only of places and people would be boring, because the reader has
no vehicle through which to become
involved in the story.
The mood of a short story is established through detailed descriptions of
the settings, people and atmosphere of a story. For example, if you are
writing a scary story about a haunted house, the mood will be dark and
foreboding. The setting should be dark – muted colors and shadowy corners –
and the characters should be feeling a mixture of excitement and delicious
fear. If, however, you are writing about Alice in Wonderland, the mood
should be charged with energy and bright in feel – sunny skies, green grass,
excitement in the air; you get the picture.
The entire point of the mood is to prepare your reader. Surprises are
acceptable in a suspense story, but the surprise should not disconcert your
audience. The author has a certain liability to their readers to not mislead
them in their writing, which will happen if they fail to set the correct
mood.
The same is true in cinema, though the latter seems to have the added tools
of motion recording and use of music every time the work is viewed.
And the same is true in photography.
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