I NTRODUCTION TO THE P HOTO N ARRATIVE

Getting Started For someone developing a visual story, the most important thing to ask is ‘what is the story you really want to tell?’ Answering that can mean working through these questions: What is the theme? What is the theme? What will be the events/moments? What will be the events/moments? Who are the characters? Who are the characters? What is the context? What is the context?

Tip: Be creative with perspective Play with objects that are near and far to help tell your story. Simple use of object perspective may suggest something significant about a character.

Tip: Be creative with perspective Consider taking photos low to high (left), or high to low (bottom left) to show emotion or to focus on a symbol. The hands tell us the couple’s symbolic connection is more important than showing their separate facial expressions. In the next photo, the photographer may want viewers to consider the man’s long winding road and tie it to his facial expression.

Tip: Determining use of character You may decide you want to use real people, objects, or even toys to tell your story. Determine what is important to your main idea/theme. Photo narrative created by: Victor Perez Title: Coffee

Tip: Determining use of character cont. Photo Narrative created by: Ryan Alberts Titled: Soldier Boy

Tip: Determining use of character cont. Photo narrative created by: Alec Longstreth

Tip: Captions need to expand on the obvious Poor Caption: The street merchant bags Afghan snuff for a customer. (…duh) Better Caption: Dehqan awaited the bag of naswar. Just a pinch between his gum and cheek would spur a dizzying high followed by a small burning in his throat that would amplify the senses and make the day tolerable.

Tip: Keep it simple Simple stories can be good stories. Plot twists and crazy conclusions are not what make stories great. In a Photo Narrative, your ability to capture emotion or the importance of a moment through photo will be what captivates viewers. Try to minimize settings (seven photos showing five different backgrounds could get confusing for the viewer) Use captions to provide backstory, foreshadow, etc. Do not use captions to add dialogue. Enjoy the chance to be creative.