The Photo Essay: A How-To
A lot can be said through images—especially when I read to my children. Even if they are too young to read, a book with beautiful illustrations can mesmerize them. It enhances and enriches all the details of the story. Images have the ability to immerse us in the story in a unique way.
As mothers, we know our stories matter, and here we will learn how to create beautiful cohesive photo essays.
What’s the Story?
Some of the most compelling photo essays are ones that have a narrative that sparked the inspiration. A song lyric, a creative challenge of your own - know what the story is you are telling. Ideas: baking, going out for ice cream, a boat ride, a day at the pool, sick day, art project, etc. Consider the images as the elements that make up the outline. What details would you write down in an essay? Photograph them instead. They will tell all the details and help the viewer understand the beginning, end, and every element in between of the story.
The Full Picture
Photo essays are an excellent time to experiment with photography elements you have been wanting to try. Take a lot of photos, so you have all the material you need. Explore shadows, blur, movement, grain. Get closer than usual to the subject. Then zoom out so not an inch of the setting is forgotten. Include details and try photographing them from different angles. Take a photo of all the measuring cups scattered on the counter with spilled flour, then take one of them staged as a nice flat lay. Use your camera’s timer to allow yourself to be in the frame.
Edit
Whenever I am editing, I always reflect on how there are so many images that I took that the family will never see. I used to feel bad about this, and think “I should include every good photo! The more the better!” When in fact, just like writing, editing out the excess makes for a really poignant story. First, I cull out all the images that are too similar or not quite right. Then, as I begin the more involved editing (tweaking framing, lighting, presets, etc.) I will still find that I’m removing images that aren’t needed for the final collection. Use your creative eye and gift for storytelling to edit your photo essay to a clean, precise narrative.
Photo essay inspiration:
