Communication
Written by Abin Alex and Anu Joseph.
Abstract
A photograph is a message, and every message can be misread. This guide explains how communication works: the process model, one way and two way exchange, verbal and non-verbal signals, noise, context, the five levels, listening and mass communication. Each idea is paired with a diagram and a short photography task, so photographers and journalists can send clearer messages and write captions people understand.
Keywords: Communication; communication process; non-verbal communication; noise; mass communication
What is communication?
Short answer. Sharing meaning between a sender and a receiver.
- Communication is the process of sharing meaning through symbols such as words, gestures, sounds and images. It needs a sender, a message and a receiver (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016).
- A photograph is one such message. The photographer is the sender and the viewer decodes it.
- Communication is a process, not a single act. The next chapter shows its parts (Figure 1).
Show one photograph to three people. Ask each to say what it means to them. Compare the answers.
A shot is the same: you send an image and the audience decodes it.
Cham tipMeaning is made by the receiver as much as the sender.
Cham taskWrite one line on what your last photograph was meant to say.
Check yourself: What three things does communication need?
A sender, a message and a receiver.
What are the parts of the communication process?
Short answer. Sender, encoder, message, channel, decoder, receiver, feedback and noise.
- The sender has an idea. The encoder turns it into symbols. The message travels through a channel. The decoder turns it back into meaning and the receiver responds (Figure 1) (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016).
- Feedback is the receiver's reply. It tells the sender whether the message arrived as intended.
- In one way communication there is no feedback. In two way communication there is (Figure 2).
Photograph the same subject for a poster and for a social post. Note how the channel changes the frame.
A cinema screen and a phone are different channels for the same film.
Cham tipChoose the channel first. It shapes the message.
Cham taskDraw the process model for one photograph you shared.
Check yourself: What is feedback?
The receiver's reply to the message.
What is the difference between verbal and non-verbal communication?
Short answer. Verbal uses words; non-verbal uses everything else.
- Verbal communication uses spoken or written words. Non-verbal communication carries meaning without words (Figure 3) (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016).
- Seven channels are usually taught: body movement, facial expression, eye contact, voice, touch, space and time (Figure 4).
- Photographers work with non-verbal signals all the time. A portrait depends on face, eyes and posture.
- When words and body language disagree, people usually trust the body.
Make three portraits of one person with three different expressions. Write the message of each.
Actors use the same channels: face, eyes, voice and space.
Cham tipWatch the hands and eyes. They speak first.
Cham taskList the non-verbal signals in one photograph you admire.
Check yourself: Name three non-verbal channels.
Any three of body, face, eyes, voice, touch, space, time.
What disturbs a message?
Short answer. Noise: physical, psychological, physiological and semantic.
- Noise is anything that interferes with a message. Four types are taught (Figure 5) (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016).
- Physical noise is outside the person, such as a loud room. Psychological noise is inside the mind, such as worry or bias. Physiological noise comes from the body, such as tiredness. Semantic noise is about meaning, such as jargon.
- In a caption, semantic noise is the main risk. Use plain words.
Write a caption in plain words, then in jargon. Ask a friend which they understood.
Sound design controls physical noise on a film set.
Cham tipRemove jargon before you publish.
Cham taskRewrite one caption to remove semantic noise.
Check yourself: Which noise comes from tiredness?
Physiological noise.
Why does context matter?
Short answer. The same message means different things in different settings.
- Context has physical, social, cultural and time parts (Figure 6) (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016).
- A photograph of a protest means one thing in a news feed and another in a gallery. A gesture can be friendly in one culture and rude in another.
- Always ask who the audience is and where they will see the picture.
Place one photograph in two settings, such as a gallery wall and a news page. Describe how the meaning changes.
Film festivals and TV give the same film different contexts.
Cham tipKnow the audience before you choose the picture.
Cham taskWrite the four contexts for one photograph.
Check yourself: Name the four contexts.
Physical, social, cultural and time.
What are the levels of communication?
Short answer. Intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, public and mass.
- Communication happens at five levels (Figure 7) (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016).
- Intrapersonal is thinking to yourself. Interpersonal is between two people. Group is a small team. Public is one speaker to a crowd. Mass is media to a large audience.
- A conversation moves through stages: entering, opening, feedback, closing and exit (Figure 8).
Photograph the same event for a family album, a club notice and a newspaper. Note what changes.
Each level needs a different tone and shot.
Cham tipMatch your frame to the level.
Cham taskName the level for each photograph you made this week.
Check yourself: Which level is one speaker to a crowd?
Public communication.
How do you listen well?
Short answer. Receive, understand, evaluate, remember and respond.
- Listening is active. It has five steps (Figure 9) (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016).
- Journalists and photographers listen to subjects before they report. Good listening gives better quotes, better captions and better trust.
- Do not interrupt. Ask short follow-up questions.
Interview a classmate for three minutes without interrupting. Write the caption they would approve.
Directors listen to actors to find the truth of a scene.
Cham tipSilence draws out the best answers.
Cham taskDo one three-minute interview and write a 40-word caption.
Check yourself: What are the five steps of listening?
Receive, understand, evaluate, remember, respond.
What is mass communication?
Short answer. Messages sent through media to a large audience.
- Mass communication sends messages through newspapers, TV, radio and online media to a large audience (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016).
- Four jobs are taught: inform, educate, entertain and persuade (Figure 10).
- Photojournalism sits mainly in the informing job. Read the Journalism guide and the History of Photojournalism guide next.
Pick a front page. Mark each item as inform, educate, entertain or persuade.
A film can do all four. Decide the main one before you shoot.
Cham tipKnow the main job of every picture you publish.
Cham taskMark ten items from one newspaper by function.
Check yourself: Name the four functions.
Inform, educate, entertain, persuade.
Questions beginners ask
What are the parts of the communication process?
Sender, encoder, message, channel, decoder, receiver, feedback and noise.
What is noise in communication?
Anything that interferes with a message. Four types are physical, psychological, physiological and semantic.
What is non-verbal communication?
Meaning carried without words, such as gesture, face, eyes, voice, touch, space and time.
What are the levels of communication?
Intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, public and mass.
Why does communication matter to photographers?
A photograph is a message. The viewer decodes it, so channel, context and noise change its meaning.
References
- University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing (2016) Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies. Available at: https://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/ (Accessed: 1 November 2026).
How to cite this guide. Alex, A., & Joseph, A. (2026). communication: A guide for photographers and cinematographers. Creative Hut Academy. https://creativehut.org/library/communication/
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