Don’t just take a photo “of” something. Take a photo “about” something.

I’ve been leading photo workshops around the world for over a decade, and one thing I always come back to is storytelling in photography.

I say it on every trip. Probably too often. “Tell a story with your image. Show what it felt like to be here, not just what it looked like.”

And without fail, I’ll get that look. You know the one—expressionless, polite… the “is this on the test?” look. Most people nod, but I can tell they’re wondering what I actually mean, and why it matters.

So, like any self-respecting photo nerd, I launch into my long-winded explanation. Which is ironic, because the last thing I want is for my guests to stand around listening to me talk when they could be out photographing.

But then—on a recent workshop in Newfoundland—it all changed with one sentence.

We were on a windy cliff, surrounded by thousands of puffins, the light doing that magical late-day thing it does out there. I gave my usual speech:
“Look beyond the bird. Think about what story you’re telling to someone who’s never stood here. What would you want them to feel?”

And that’s when David, one of the guests (and a damn fine photographer in his own right), looks up and says, “Oh—you mean take a photo about the puffins, not just of the puffins.”

I stopped mid-sentence. Mouth open.

Yes. That’s it. That’s the phrase I’ve been searching for all these years.

“Of” is easy. “About” is art.

Anyone can take a photo of something. It’s the visual equivalent of saying “I was here.” It checks the box. But it rarely makes you feel something.

Photos about something… those are different. They linger. They invite. They say something more.

Let’s take those Newfoundland puffins as an example.
A photo of a puffin might show it standing awkwardly on a rock. Cute bird. Done.

But a photo about a puffin? Maybe it’s framed against crashing waves, or silhouetted at sunset. Perhaps it’s a tender moment between two mates or a wide shot that shows the chaotic energy of the colony.

That photo has mood. That photo tells a story. That photo lets someone who wasn’t there feel something.

It’s a Mindset Shift

Whether you’re photographing puffins, Parisian cafés, lions, or lavender fields, this mindset works everywhere:

• Of is documentation.
• About is storytelling.

One’s quick. The other takes patience. Curiosity. Intention.

You have to ask yourself:

• What’s the emotion here?
• What’s the energy?
• What am I really trying to say?

That’s when your photos start to go beyond the ordinary.

So Thanks, David…

I’ve added your phrase to my permanent toolkit.

No more 10-minute rambles (well… probably fewer rambles).
No more blank stares.

From now on, it’s simple:
“Try not to take a photo of a subject. Take a photo about a subject.”

That’s how we elevate vacation snapshots into meaningful memories. That’s how we go from tourist to storyteller.

And that’s what I’ll keep reminding my groups—everywhere from the cliffs of Newfoundland to the dunes of Namibia.

Because once you get it… your photography changes forever.

Join us somewhere in the world on a photography workshop… let us show you how to stop taking photos of something, and start taking pictures about something