The photo story

One photo can say a lot (“a photo is worth a thousand words”) but often it is not enough. Then we make a photo story. With a photo story we can show many different sides of the subject and that way create a clearer, more complete, and often more subtle and nuanced image of the subject. A photo story must have enough cohesion to work as one work of art, as well as enough variation to keep the interest of the viewer.

Almost always we limit ourselves to a subject to create cohesion. The subject can be broad or limited. A broad subject is more difficult, because it is not easy to hold the story together. Another way of improving the cohesion of the story is style. Often we use one specific style of photography for a story. Usually all photos will be either in colour or black-and-white. If we make most photos handheld in black and white with extreme camera angles, then including one photo in colour with a very strict composition with the horizon straight may not look like part of the story. We would need a strong reason for including one photo that is very different in style from the others. In this example the reason could be: you make a photo story about the long career of a musician, and you use a number of photos of stage shows over the years made in black and white, and add a recent studio portrait in colour.

Variation can be created by using different types of photos, like a long shot versus close up, vertical or horizontal orientation, and different aspects of the story as subjects.

Here is a photo story that I did about the township Zingwangwa. All photos are street photography in black and white with sepia colouring. People are the centre of attention as I was interested in peoples lives under these circumstances. All photos were made handheld. Most are middle distance but there are two closer ones there.

For most photos stories I think ahead and make a list of the photos that I am looking for. I keep checking my list as I am working to make sure I do not miss opportunities. I sometimes add to the list as I am working and get ideas from the people I talk to, or from what I see.

I do not stick to my list tightly, but use it as a guideline. In the Zingwangwa story I did not make a list, I just went there with a friend and saw what I came across. That results in a looser type of story, not so tightly constructed. I was not looking for only highpoints of action, but also for daily life events, people sitting around waiting, or not involved in anything unusual.

More about different types of photo stories later.