Expressive Photography: Joy
By: Author: J Bakken

Every picture tells a story. Photographs reveal a great deal to the viewer and they can be interpreted differently by individuals. When photographs feature people they often display a variety of emotions ranging from happiness to loneliness and every possible feeling in between. Capturing 'joy' in a photograph takes the right photographer, the right subject (human or animal), and the right setting.
When I think of my photography where I have captured joy I think of last fall when I photographed one of my best friends and her new yellow lab puppy in Kinsmen Park in Strathmore. The fall foliage was brilliant in yellows and oranges both on the trees and on the ground as they fell. I was able to photograph my friend and her puppy together experiencing great joy as they played in the leaves by the lake.
My friend was so happy to get her new puppy and since it was October, she brought along some bright orange pumpkins for the two of them to pose beside. Well, it wasn't long and the little puppy was fast asleep curled up beside the pumpkins. This picture even made the local newspaper, The Strathmore Standard. I managed to capture a few extraordinary shots where you can just see the bliss on my friend's face as she fondly looked down at her new baby.
Joy is one of the easiest emotions to capture on film. I have captured joy on babies' faces, children as they were playing, friends and family members at various special occasions and just snapshots on a regular day. Joy is all around us and we have to remember to hold onto it.
These pictures could be displayed in a magazine or on a billboard, or they could even be on a hallmark card. Joy means a feeling of great delight or happiness, and to capture that on film is gratifying and even if you only get one great shot out of 36, you know you've got 'the one'and that's all that matters.

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