5 Photo Essay Tips from Digital Photography School

• 5 Photo Essay Tips - Annotated

• Express yourself in text and visuals on a topic of interest to you, or as a final project for your graduation.

• Check out iSearch initial assignment: https://whatelse.pbwiki.com/iSearch

• Below are the highlights and annotations for what a photo essay is from the Digital Photography School. Refere to these questions after reading the information:
  

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  • What do you know? 
    
  • What do you want to know?
    
  • How will  this help you?
    
  • What will you do next?
    
  • How will you document your journey?

  tags: essay, Photography, photoessay, point of view, theme, voice

  • And for the last one hundred years photography and storytelling went hand in hand.
  • developed by skillful photographers who understand the emotions and concepts behind ever-great story.
  • The form of such a story is called the photo essay.
  • A photo essay is very simply a collection of images that are placed in a specific order to tell the progression of events, emotions, and concepts.
  • the photo essay takes the same story telling techniques as a normal essay, translated into visual images.
    • Think in terms of: Grabber Beginning; Thesis; Main idea focus; Evidence; Conclusion; End with Action/Thought Just like you learned about written essays -- now you express your ideas through photos with captions. - post by sheri42
  • Every human being is drawn to stories.
  • photo essay is a brilliant way to bring your images to life and touch your family, friends, and coworkers.
  • 1. Find a topic
  • make your topic something in which you find interest.
  • 2. Do your research
  • spend time
  • talk with
  • investigate
  • check out the theme,
  • help you in planning out the type of shots you set up for your story.
  • 3. Find the “real story”
  • determine the angle you want to take your story
    • What is the angle? Who's voice will you share? What is the most important theme? - post by sheri42
  • Though each story idea is the same, the main factors of each story create an incredibly unique story.
  • 4. Every dynamic story is built on a set of core values and emotions that touch the heart of its audience. Anger. Joy. Fear. Hurt. Excitement. The best way you can connect your photo essay with its audience is to draw out the emotions within the story and utilize them in your shots. This does not mean that you manipulate your audience’s emotions. You merely use emotion as a connecting point.
    • What emotions did you find in your research and theme? How will the audience understand? How will your words and pictures explain your topic, emotions, and voice? - post by sheri42
  • 5.Plan your shots: Whether you decide to sit down and extensively visualize each shot of the story, or simply walk through the venue in your mind, you will want to think about the type of shots that will work best to tell your story. I recommend beginners first start out by creating a “shot list” for the story. Each shot will work like a sentence in a one-paragraph story. Typically, you can start with 10 shots. Each shot must emphasize a different concept or emotion that can be woven together with the other images for the final draft of the story.
    • Use a story board. Plan your shots and your text. Arrange them for powerful impact, just as if you are writing an essay -- what will explain or persuade? What order is best? What words will pack the punch that persuades or provides the facts for people to act or understand? - post by sheri42
  • Remember that story telling takes practice.
  • All you need is a bit of photographic technique, some creativity, and a lot of heart. And once you begin taking pictures in stories, your images will never be the same.
    • You are on your way to a journey of visual understanding and sharing that will help you understand the world as well as share the world. Learn and enjoy. - post by sheri42

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