The Secret Language of Photographs

The metalanguage of paintings was a big deal in the Neo-Classical, Romantic, Renaissance periods -- each person's position and pose in the painting was carefully calculated. The viewer, if able to "read" the painting, was privy to "relative status" information that a casual observer missed.

Body language and poses still make a difference in the feel of the photo -- do the family members touch each other? Do their shoulders overlap to indicate a tight family unit? Do the senior members sit in the middle? Are the couples torsos turned to face each other? Are the kids between them or on the outside? Is the mother the heart of the family and everyone gathers around her? Skilled viewers can read the body language in the photo. Often, the most pleasing shots are those that are true to the personality of the family.