Telling Your Story In Photos: How To Get It Right

When it comes to photography, everyone wants to tell their story. But how do you actually do that? 

It’s a big question. But it’s also one we’re going to attempt to answer in this post. 

So, let’s get started, shall we? 

Think About The Story You Want To Tell

Photos don’t always tell stories by themselves. That’s why it is essential to layer a story over the top of them so you have a framework you can follow. 

Start by thinking about the central theme of your story and what you want your photos to convey. Consider your situation and the takeaways you’d like the person viewing the photos to go away with. 

For example, if you are getting married, you might use wedding photojournalism to remember what you did in a narrative arc with a start, middle, and end. The same goes for a vacation or a trip out with friends. 

Plan The Shots You’ll Take

Once you’ve done that, you’ll want to plan the shots to take so everything happens in the proper order. 

The best approach is to take photos that you think will fall into the beginning, middle, and end. Categorizing them in this way makes your life more straightforward and will hopefully ensure everything makes sense. 

If you want to create a shortlist before the event, do so. This will help you conceptualize what you want to do and how your wedding photos will appear sequentially. 

Be Mindful Of Emotions

When it comes to telling a story, the emotional aspects are often the most important. These are what really draw in your audience and make a photo album feel more like a story than anything else. 

Look for ways to capture as many details as you can, like people laughing, smiling, or frowning. Also, look for emotions like surprise as these can make for interesting visuals. 

Get The Composition Right

At the same time, you want to master the composition of your story. Adding elements like framing can make your images more compelling. 

You can also use composition techniques to direct the viewer to things you want to highlight in the image. The rule of thirds is great for human subjects, while other objects often just require a central location without any intruding features around the edges. 

Don’t forget to use lighting to capture the mood of the story. For example, you might have a bright setting for a joyful experience, or something darker if you want to convey uncertainty. 

Edit In The Right Way

Once you have the raw photographs, the next step is to edit them in a way that continues to follow the narrative. You want to ensure that the visuals have a natural flow and that viewers can keep up with what’s happening. 

The best option is to add captions or text below each image to give it more context. This way, you can carefully chart the story and fill in gaps that audiences themselves might miss. 

Then, you could add these to a blog or social media profile for maximum impact.