The Photo EssayTelling Stories With Pictures

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Types

• Time Sequence• Location Based• Ideas/Conceptual • Event

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Types

• Time Sequence• Something where there is a clearly

delineated timeline for the story. Cliff Diving, Bird Nest Hunters, Fire Fighting etc.

• Shot in a linear fashion (Life)

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Maude Callen

• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Maude Callen

• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Maude Callen

• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Maude Callen

• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Maude Callen

• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Maude Callen

• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Types

• Location• Allows for non-linear story telling

• National Geographic type of story, at the Grand Canyon, India, The State Fair

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Ed Kashi (Editor)

• LINKIndia’s HighwaysWednesday, March 3, 2010

Types

• Idea/Concept/Theme• Diverse set of images that are used to illustrate

a complex idea, ex. Identity or there is a tool employed to explore a theme that allows us to compare/contrast ex. Breast Cancer Pink

• Time Agnostic

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Menzel

• Hungry Planet

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Material World

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Material World

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Material World

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Material World

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Material World

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Types

• Event • News - War, Famine, Health etc...

• The most wide ranging, includes all previous types of essays

• Can also be about little things as well

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Tejanos Music FL

• Anything by Salgado Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Tejanos Music FL

• Anything by Salgado Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Find Your Topic

• What interests you, what is something that you would like to discover or learn about?

• What would you be comfortable spending a lot of time on?

• What can you draw from in your past experiences?

• Is there just someone who is ?

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Research

• Learn, learn, and get more learned• Talk to those who you are going to

cover• Find all resources available to you • Call everyone, 3 times

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The Real Story

• After research, your questions should help you develop your angle

• What will your approach be?

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Emotion

• Anger, Fear, Sadness, Joy• Use empathy as a tool to tell your story• Not manipulate but draw out the

emotions that will best tell the story

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Plan

• Make a “Shot List” • Each shot (10) should be a sentence in

a story that will be used to convey a concept or emotion

• “How would I say this?”

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The “Life” Photo Essay

• Introduction/Establishing Shot

• Medium (The Who or What?)

• Close Up (Details)

• Portrait

• Interaction

• Signature (Key Elements, Decisive Moment)

• Sequence (The How or an Event)

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The Narrative

• All Stories have ... • Complications/Conflict and

Resolutions

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Story Arcs

• Standard 8 elements in almost all stories

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Story Arcs

• Standard 8 elements in almost all stories

Stasis

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Story Arcs

• Standard 8 elements in almost all stories

Stasis

Trigger

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Story Arcs

• Standard 8 elements in almost all stories

Stasis

TriggerThe Quest

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

SurpriseStory Arcs

• Standard 8 elements in almost all stories

Stasis

TriggerThe Quest

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

SurpriseStory Arcs

• Standard 8 elements in almost all stories

Stasis

TriggerThe Quest

Critical ChoiceWednesday, March 3, 2010

SurpriseStory Arcs

• Standard 8 elements in almost all stories

Stasis

TriggerThe Quest

Critical Choice

Climax

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

SurpriseStory Arcs

• Standard 8 elements in almost all stories

Stasis

TriggerThe Quest

Critical Choice

Climax

lasreveR or Consequence

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

SurpriseStory Arcs

• Standard 8 elements in almost all stories

Stasis

TriggerThe Quest

Critical Choice

Climax

lasreveR or Consequence

Conclusion

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The Narrative

• It helps people understand a story in an emotional way, the “what’s next” is the hook, keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats... The plot, the resolution to the problem can help the viewer to care and in some cases, motivate to action!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

W EUGENE SMITH

• “What use is having a great depth of field, if there is not an adequate depth of feeling?”

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Smith’s Photo Essay

• Like a play • 3 Acts

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Act One

• Brought in for a difficult birth (complication)

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Act One

• Healthy Baby = Resolution Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Act Two

• Summer Camp requires two dresses and pajamas (complication)

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Act Two

• Maude provides the clothes needed (resolution)Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Act Three

• Maude brings dying child to the doctor (complication)

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Act Three

• Maude teaches the next generation of midwives (resolution for whole story)

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The Personal Narrative

• LINK

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The Personal Narrative

• LINK

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Extras

• Photo Essay Mag UnFrame• NYT’s One in 8 Million• NPPA • NPR’s Picture Show• MediaStorm• Salgado

Wednesday, March 3, 2010