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Storytelling with Photographs. Multimedia Storytelling Summer 2014. “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Coined in 1911 by newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane, of the Syracuse Post Standard A complex idea can be conveyed with a single still image
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Storytelling with Photographs Multimedia Storytelling Summer 2014
“A picture is worth a thousand words” • Coined in 1911 by newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane, of the Syracuse Post Standard • A complex idea can be conveyed with a single still image • Was and is still the main concept of visualization, with the main goal of making it possible to absorb large amounts of information quickly
Living in a visually centered society • New media and new communication platforms are created every day • Facebook (300 million/day – 200,000+/min) • Instagram (40 million/day) • Flickr (1.4 million/day)
Age of the visual journalist • Role of the journalist is changing • Evolution from specialized to backpack journalists • Every journalist = researcher, writer, photographer, videographer, print & web designer • Requires a new mindset, skillset and vision • New considerations when brainstorming story ideas
Choosing a good story idea • There is activity and/or people doing something observable (i.e. not a town hall meeting) • It is visually rich (i.e. lots of color, decoration, contrast, rhythm, motion, scenery, etc.) • There are lots of different situations taking place and/or a variety of interesting moments (i.e., not a bunch of different people repeating the same thing) • The idea is emotional • The subjects are rich in character/personality
Maximizing the quality of frames • Include as much visual information as you can into each frame • Each frame is an opportunity to organize visual information in the best way that tells the whole/part of the whole story • When shooting for a single image, focus on packing as much visual content relevant to the story within a single frame • When shooting a full photo story/audio slideshow, seek variety and transitions, too
Photography 101: General • Great photographers always consider the following when taking pictures: • Composition • Viewpoint/angles • Lighting • Motion • Direction • There are a variety of ways to approach each
Photography 101: Composition How each object is arranged in the frame • Rule of thirds • Layering • Balancing elements • Repetition • Framing
Photography 101: Viewpoint/Angles The position from which you take the photograph • Eye level: Shows subject(s) straight on • High angle: Shows subject(s) from above • Low angle: Shows subject(s) from below • Bird’s eye: Shows subject(s) from directly above
Photography 101: Lighting The way in which light is used in a photograph • Natural/available lighting • Fill lighting • Back lighting • Side lighting
Photography 101: Motion How movement is shown to the viewer • Frozen field of vision • Blurred background, subject in focus • Blurred subject, background in focus
Photography 101: Direction • Every photo moves in a certain direction • Left to right • Right to left • Forward • Backward, etc.
Preparing for a photo story shoot • Requires just as much research & forethought as writing a story • Shooting scripts: Prepare you for the content you expect to get • Storyboards can prepare you for the visual composition of your photographs
The shooting script • Life magazine would predict what photos it could expect in advance, pre-shoot, developing a shooting script/shot list • The script encouraged a photographer to prepare for what content they might come across while shooting, so that they could better find the unusual or unique pictures • Don’t force anything you script to happen: This is simply meant to prepare you for what might happen
Storyboarding • Storyboarding forces the photographer to visualize what each frame of their photo story will look like • Once you have your shooting script/shot list developed, you can then take the content you plan to gather for each photo and decide how you are going to visually place that content within the frame
Life’s 8-shot formula • An introductory shot or overall shot, such as a wide angle or an aerial. • A middle-distance or “moving in” shot, such as a sign, street, or building • A close-up, usually hands, face or detail. • A sequence, or how-to shot. • A portrait, usually environmental. • An interaction shot of persons conversing or action portrayed. • The signature picture- the decisive moment, the one picture that conveys the essence of the story. • The clincher or goodbye shot, signifying the end of the story.
Life’s Eugene Smith: “Country Doctor” • Life Magazine photographer Eugene Smith is credited for creating the magazine’s photo story formula • In his photo essay “Country Doctor,” where he profiles a small-town practitioner in the 1940s, each of the shot types described in the photo story formula can be found • Click here to view the essay in its entirety
Poynter: 5-shot sequence • Scene setter • Medium shot • Portrait • Detail • Action
Shot one: Scene setter • Where is your storytakingplace and what does it look like? • Place your audience in the action by taking a photo that shows it all.
Shot two: Medium shot • Hone in on your spot of action. • Show where your subjects are. • Thisshot narrows your story’s field of view and should bring you closer in.
