Composition, moment, exposure. These are all part of the language of photography. But a photo can go beyond that. We can talk of photos in terms of tone, mood and even sound. While we typically seek out the dynamic, the bold and action driven in news photography, there is also a time and place for the subdued, the still and the quiet.
It may seem counterintuitive to speak of a visual medium in terms of the audible or inaudible. Sometimes, however those terms perfectly describe the photographically subtle. Things like low light, solemn moments, or simple compositions can all add to the mood or tone of a photograph.
For me, as a photo editor, I am most moved by those photos that not only satisfy in the objective qualities of a photograph but also touch the abstract and emotional qualities.
Here are some examples of quiet photos.
Two cats rest on a windowsill in a hutong alley in central Beijing, Sunday, July 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
Spanish bullfighter Eduardo Gallo wait his turn to perform during a bullfight at San Fermin Fiestas, in Pamplona, Saturday, July 7, 2012 in Pamplona, Spain. (AP Photo/Ivan Aguinaga)
A couple sits on the roof of their pick-up truck and watch "The Amazing Spiderman" at the Admiral Twin Drive-In Theater in Tulsa, OK, July 10 2012. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World
A Syrian refugee peers out of his family's tent at the Al Bashabsheh Syrian refugee camp, in Ramtha, Jordan, Tuesday, July 17, 2012. Shortly after visiting the camp Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague, not shown, said implementing U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan is the "best hope" for ending the civil war in Syria. (AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon)
Leland Duff poses with the cat that saved his life at the roadside fruit and vegetable stand where he lives and works on Highway 69 north of Atoka, Okla., on June 27, 2012. The cat, that Leland calls "Kitty" jumped into his bedroom window and woke him up as a fire destroyed the building where he lived. JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World
A Libyan woman walks through the ruins in Sirte , Libya, Monday, July 16, 2012. Sirte, the hometown of the country's late dictator Moammar Gadhafi and the last regime stronghold to fall during the revolution last year still suffers from the effects of the Libyan civil war. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)
Northern Lights illuminate the sky over Lake Elora in northern Minnesota early Sunday morning, July 15, 2012. (AP Photo/The Star Tribune, Brian Peterson)
Pakistani farmers work in a rice field on the outskirts of Gujranwala, Pakistan, Friday, July 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Aftab Rizvi)
A rainbow arches over the steeple of the Boston Avenue Methodist Church in downtown Tulsa, OK, after rains in the early evening July 13, 2012. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World
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