A picture is worth a thousand words.
Today, that old saying probably goes something more like, a picture is worth a thousand likes.
With social media, it has become easier to capture and share imagery than ever before, and this trend is growing.
There is a lot of science behind why a visual can do what words cannot.
We know that the brain processes visual information much faster, and more efficiently, than it does textual information. We also remember images better than we do words. Perhaps most importantly, visuals evoke emotion, engagement and reactions that words simply don’t and can’t.
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Consider the tragic story of Alan Kurdi, the two-year-old Syrian refugee boy who was photographed after drowning in the Mediterranean Sea in 2015. As a mom of young kids, I still cannot look at that photo without thinking of my own kids and sobbing uncontrollably.
Because of the emotion that photo evoked, it sparked a surge in international aid donations and commitment from several countries, including Canada, to do more to help displaced refugees.
Visuals are also a powerful tool for happiness, hope and positivity. Consider that, as of last year, the most popular photo on Instagram was of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and his teammates after they won the 2022 World Cup with 61.2 million likes.
If you peruse the most popular Instagram photos of all time, you will notice most of them tell happy stories, like weddings, new babies and graduations.
But what does this have to do with agriculture?
A whole lot, actually.
I have worked in this industry for more than a decade, and throughout my tenure, I have heard a constant theme from all members that we need to do a better job of telling our stories.
As an agriculture communicator, I wholeheartedly agree.
The agriculture industry is uniquely positioned to hit it out of the park in the area of visual and video storytelling.
Why? For starters, look out your window. The Canadian Prairies are full of beautiful landscapes, creatures, crops of all colours, and the saying, “land of living skies,” is almost always on display.
What image sparks more authenticity than the farm family? From dinners in the fields to dusty faces at harvest time, those pictures tell more than 1,000 words. They share the stories of lifetimes lived.
Also, farmers these days have the technology at their fingertips to take and edit photos like never before.
While there is no substitute for a professional photographer’s eye, equipment and experience, amateur and hobby photographers are taking amazing photos and video footage these days with smartphones — and their abilities will continue to grow as the technology advances.
The ag industry also is blessed by a lot people who are willing to share, and who have a commitment to transparency.
Many farmers share their stories, experiences and opinions willingly and wholeheartedly. This may be the most valuable resource of the agriculture industry — one that should absolutely be tapped.
The next time you find yourself thinking that our industry needs to do a better job of telling our stories, pick up your phone and take a photo or video of what you are doing, and share it online.
Your photo could be worth a thousand words, or likes — or more.
Delaney Seiferling is a co-founder of farmstockimages.com, a stock photo company specializing in Canadian agriculture.
