Two paths diverged in a yellow wood.... Well, now they're converged.

The two paths being photos and text. I’ve always admired photojournalists, but I am definitely more of a “words person.” I look at the headline and even the captions before I glance at the photo. But the more I look at photos, the more I understand how important they are to telling a story.

David Snider’s street pictures are a perfect example. I especially like one he took in Orange, France. It shows two elderly people walking down a well-worn street. This photo’s technical aspects are interesting, particularly its lines. The road leads the viewer’s eye right to the frame’s focal point. The couple is slightly off-center, though perhaps not enough to strictly adhere to the rule of thirds. But the photo’s most important quality is that it inspires curiosity. Because the couple is not walking in the direction the arrow points, I feel like there is a story to be told. Are they lost tourists or long-time residents who know their way so well that they don’t need to follow signs? Where are they walking? (Now I see why photos should always have captions.)