You hit the export button and now your shot is ready for your website, blog, Facebook photography page, or an email attachment to a client. Be honest with yourself. Why is it a great image? Many photographers fall into the trap of thinking an image is stellar because of its textbook perfection. Beware. “Regular Joe” isn’t as interested in technical precision as they are the story in the frame.
Many photographers concentrate on leaving a shoot with that one glorious image. However, it is rare that a single picture is powerful enough to tell a larger story. Regardless of the technical expertise of a photograph, most people find storytelling images more captivating. Viewers want to attach themselves to a photograph and invest in a greater narrative. Considering this, you would be wise to ease up on the quest for the “money shot” and begin to devote energy to the search of multiple frames that can be pieced into a collection that relates a much more interesting overview of your subject.
In his article “Telling Stories With Photos” Digital Photography School founder Darren Rowse likens a captivating image to a short story. If you are like me, you would rather use your time for reading a whole novel, than to flirt with a short story. When your single image isn’t potent enough or you fail to capture the impressive shot you initially intended to get, shoot variations of a scene and present them as a cohesive collection. Similarly, learn to view each shoot or location as an opportunity to create a visual essay that presents a grander tale.
Possible Variations in a Collection
The following are common types of photographs included in a multiple image collection. While it is not necessary to have each type of photo in your compilation, it is important that your variations have a logical sequence and rhythm.
Setting the Scene
This is the image that creates a sense of place. The scene setter is typically a great opener for your collection. It identifies location and introduces subject matter to your audience.
Mid-Range Shots
Pull back a bit and give more information to the viewer. Using a wider focal length includes some of the larger scene. By doing so, the collection starts to take shape and you have prepared your audience for the action of your story.
Portraits
Most collections will have a human element. The reason why portraiture is so popular is because, as viewers of photography, we personally connect in some way to every other human. People identify with others and by including a portrait in your collection, your audience can emotionally leap into your narrative.
Detail Shots
There is small detail in every scene that most overlook. Whether it is the trampled confetti on a dance floor or the untied lace of a child’s shoe, the magic is often captured in the minutia. Detail shots also make great transitions in a multiple image collection.
Differentiation Shots – get outside the box
Have you ever been to a tourist hotspot and seen a clump of photographers pointing their 70-200mm lenses in the same direction, from the same height? Even after the individual photographers edit, I am willing to bet that photographs taken from the “clumps” are, you guessed it, the same. To make your photography stand out and to improve the interest of your collection, shoot variations that other photographers fail to notice.
Action Shots
Action shots are a great way to identify what is commonly thought to be the crux of any story. However, the action shots are just the gravy on the mashed potatoes. The real story lies in the elements surrounding the action. Think about a wedding. The pinnacle of action of a wedding involves the words “I do” and a kiss. However, the best shots are captured before and after that moment. Many photographers concentrate on the action shot and are left without time or energy for anything else. My advice is to shoot every other variation first so that there is the scaffolding on which to build a larger story.
Closing Shots
How does your story end? To finalize a collection, think about what lasting image you would like to leave with your audience. Make sure that the concluding shot offers your audience a sense of closure.
The Greater Story
When you pack your gear for a shoot, remind yourself that a single stellar image is not always the greater story. There is photographic gold to be mined if you give yourself time and allow yourself to break from the paralyzing tunnel vision that plagues most photographers. The next time you hit the export button, make sure that you are telling a greater story by producing variations and presenting them as a collection.
Gear tip: quite often, a scene unfolds rather quickly. Whether it a sporting event, party or field trip, photographers should be at the ready to capture the larger story quickly. While many telephoto zoom lenses do not have the character of their prime lens counterparts, they are extremely useful when attempting to create a collection in a short amount of time. Try a 24-105mm (or comparable) lens to capture both the wide and tight elements needed in an effective storytelling collection.
For more on creating storytelling images read these:
- Documentary Photography – Six Tips for Creating a Legacy
- The Secret of Creating a Strong Image – 5 Tips for Creating a Story in Your Image
- Interview with Jim Mortram – Small Town Inertia
- 8 Photo Projects in Your Own Backyard
