Meanwhile, let’s dig deeper into photo essays.
Like any narrative, your photo essay should have a beginning, middle, and end. Outline how you want to introduce the story, what key points you want to highlight in the middle, and how you will conclude it. Ensure that the flow between images feels natural and cohesive.
Start by selecting a clear subject for your photo essay. It could be an event, a social issue, a personal story, or a particular theme (e.g., urban life, nature, emotions). Make sure it’s a topic you’re passionate about or that resonates with you, as this will influence the depth of your storytelling. Gather images that visually represent your story. If you’re taking the photos, consider the composition, lighting, and emotional impact of each shot. Aim for a variety of perspectives (e.g., wide shots, close-ups) to add depth to your essay. Writing a photo essay involves using a series of images to tell a cohesive story or convey a message, often supported by brief captions or accompanying text. Hereâs a step-by-step guide on how to write a successful photo essay: For each photo, write short captions that describe what is happening or enhance the story. The captions can provide context, highlight details, or convey emotions that the photos alone may not express. Keep the text concise and focused. After shooting the 2017 eclipse (also during a National Parks at Night workshop, in Idaho) and missing most of the spectacle as I was busy operating two cameras, I vowed that this time I would shoot only the corona and would spend the remaining time watching the eclipse with my own eyes. When totality happened I had my Nikon shoot bracketed close-up exposures, triggered with a remote release. Watching the eclipse I was so impressed by what I saw that I spontaneously snapped a few frames with my trusted Sony point-and-shoot, one of which serves as the foreground for this composite. The sun/moon at totality is one of the frames shot with the Nikon at 400mm. The two together are the perfect representation of what I saw and experienced. Review your photos and select the strongest ones that best represent your story. Arrange them in a sequence that flows logically. Each photo should contribute something meaningful to the essay â avoid redundancy or unnecessary shots.
Or, finally, the photo essay on Slime makes clear in its
People based photography is powerful. It allows you to explore the event, story or theme depicted and shows how people (e.g., characters, consumers, workers, migrants, tourists, children, old folk) interact with each other and/or the environment in which they’ve been depicted.
Eugene Smith’s Landmark Photo Essay
Give your photo essay a compelling title that reflects the essence of the story. In the introduction, provide a brief overview of the topic and why it matters, setting the stage for the audience to engage with the photos.
From Taylor Dorrell’s photo essay , featured in Vice.
Ending our exploration of picture essays is this piece from Reuters, which tells the story of ballet dancer who fled from war-torn Ukraine, and whose journey brought her to the Hungary State Opera where she got to be a part of their performance of Swan Lake. With a well-balanced mix of writing and photos that show her life both on the stage and off, visitors get a personal look into her life.
Cover image by Taylor Dorrell, from his photo essay .
Fusco’s images beautifully and poignantly document the mourning and respect shown by people along the train route. The series is a moving portrayal of grief, unity, and the impact of a historical moment on the lives of ordinary individuals. The photographs are both artistically compelling and deeply human, making it a notable example of the potential for photo essays to convey complex emotions and historical narratives.
There are three general types of photo stories.
End your essay with a final photo that wraps up the story and reinforces your message. You can add a concluding sentence or paragraph to summarize the theme or leave the viewer with something to reflect on.
Certain techniques help tell the photo essay.
One notable example of a powerful photo essay is “The Photographic Essay: Paul Fusco’s ‘RFK Funeral Train'” by Paul Fusco. This photo essay captures the emotional journey of the train carrying the body of Robert F. Kennedy from New York to Washington, D.C., after his assassination in 1968.