When words fail
and pictures fade
by Samantha Faith Satorre
BYU–Hawaii’s student writers and photographers ponder the limitations of literature and photography and whether one can cover the other
The student writers said words have the power to articulate emotions and unseen moments, but they can sometimes fall short in conveying the depth of feelings. Photographs, on the other hand, can vividly freeze a moment in time, but they can lack the ability to reveal unseen emotions and context beyond the frame, the student photographers explained. Kevin Tumaliuan, a communication senior from the Philippines who has been doing photography since high school, said, “Recognizing these limitations is essential because only by understanding the challenges can we find ways to adapt and overcome them.”
As storytellers, both literature and photography seek to capture the essence of human experiences, but the limits of their craft are hurdles they sometimes cannot evade, said four student writers and photographers from BYU–Hawaii. However, they noted the potential of one medium to compensate for the limitations of the other, rejecting the notion that some stories may remain beyond their reach as storytellers.
The paradox of language
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Kale Moss, a senior from Oregon studying English education, said, “Language is both a powerful tool for expression and an imperfect one.” Literature allows people to articulate complex ideas, evoke emotions and share perspectives, but there are certain experiences and human feelings far too vast, too profound and too deeply felt to be confined by language, he explained.
He shared he is someone who deeply connects with others, and he often finds himself struggling to encapsulate the depth of his love and appreciation for them through words despite being a writer since high school. “Although I have access to descriptive words, metaphors and all sorts of devices to emphasize a feeling, there are always moments when words simply fall short,” he expressed. He shared this might be one of the reasons why the existence of other art forms like photographs, paintings and music are significant.
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“When you’re writing, you are trying to create a feeling. You’re trying to create your own little world—your own universe— and you are letting the readers see a glimpse of it,” said Beka Poh, a junior from Papua New Guinea majoring in English. She said it is often challenging to choose the right words for the emotions and ideas she wants to convey.
However, Moss and Poh said these challenges and limitations do not make literature any less beautiful. They emphasized the unparalleled power of words to touch people’s lives. “I love writing as my way of self-expression. But besides that, it allows me to explore details and perspectives that can influence other people for good,” Moss said.
“I write because there are so many things I find hard to express verbally. Growing up, I often found myself in situations where I could not speak up, but literature solved that problem for me,” Poh expressed. She said words, with their power to make emotional expression so much easier, open the door to people’s hearts.
“Literature also has the unique ability to convey movement and flow in a way static visual arts like photographs and paintings cannot,” Poh added. While an image captures a single, frozen moment, literature unfolds the scene dynamically, immersing the readers in its progression, she explained.
Haley Peterson, a sophomore from Utah studying health and human sciences, said living in Hawaii emphasized the limitations of photography for her. “Every time I step outside—whether I’m gazing at the mountains, the ocean or taking a hike—I find myself thinking, ‘I could take a picture of this, but no photograph will ever truly capture the beauty of what my eyes see at this moment,’” she expressed.
Framing the invisible
She said she has pursued photography as her vocation since she was 14, and she is a big storyteller through her art. “I always strive to make people’s memories feel authentic and real. My goal is for the camera to capture each moment so vividly that anyone looking at the photo will feel as if they are right there, witnessing it unfold in person,” she shared. She said she often finds herself drawn to the challenge of capturing what a camera sometimes cannot— the warmth of the moment, the weight of emotions and the stories in the subjects’ eyes.
Check out Haley's works here!
Meanwhile, Tumaliuan focused on technical and practical limitations. “Whether we like to admit it or not, equipment plays a significant role in the craft,” he said. The quality of a photograph is influenced by the gear used, he explained. “Another limitation could be the absence of a proper mentor,” he added. He said he respects self-taught photographers, and although online videos and tutorials are valuable resources, he believes there is no substitute for hands-on learning through an apprenticeship with an experienced photographer.
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Peterson and Tumaliuan also acknowledged the challenge of helping subjects feel at ease in front of the camera. “The camera tells stories by capturing the world with curious, honest and natural eyes,” Tumaliuan shared. They emphasized the importance of authenticity in every photograph. “I don’t like photos or videos that feel staged. I want them to reflect real moments, not something forced or artificial,” Peterson said. She said she does not want them to look back at their pictures and feel they have fake memories.
Back and forth: The literature-photography dialectic
Tumaliuan explained photography and literature as two mediums that can exist in a constant push and pull, each filling the gaps left by the other. Referring to Newton’s third law of motion, he said, “The greater the force exerted on one object, the greater the equal and opposite force exerted back to it—for me, the relationship between photography and literature is based on this principle.”
He said photographs capture raw emotions and visual truth, while words provide depth and context. He emphasized the importance of engaging both the eye and the mind. “Separately, they are powerful in their own right, but together, they create a richer, more complete form of storytelling,” he explained.
Poh shared she is a witness to what literature and photography can do together as someone who has been a writer and a visual artist for as long as she can remember. “Words and images, when paired together, can become more compelling,” she expressed.
Poh also shared she has seen both literature and photography significantly impact people’s lives. She said her sister struggles with reading, making audio-visual learning especially important for her, while at the same time, she knows others like herself who value reading above all other forms of media. “For different people, I believe literature and photography can fulfill the same purpose, whether by themselves or together,” she said.
When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides.
My heart
My life
My one and only thought
“Words are how a lot of people express themselves in general, so I think it’s really special when I get to pair them with my visuals,” said Peterson. She said whenever she matches her photographs with song lyrics, the emotions she seeks to convey are amplified. “It completes my art. Words do a good job triggering emotions and the imagination,” she expressed. However, she also said it will ultimately depend on what triggers their feelings and memories, because different people feel emotions differently.
“Together, they solidify the meaning of your work,” Moss said. He said he once tried combining his literary works with photography through a photo narrative project, and the experience revealed to him how visuals can enhance writing, helping readers envision ideas more clearly. “With accompanying images, readers can form a more specific picture of what I want them to see while they’re reading. I think that’s how literature and photography complement each other,” he explained.
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