How to Tell a Story Through Photographs

A photo is worth a thousand words. What is your photo saying?

Sometimes we just take a photo to capture a quick snapshot of a moment, we want to remember. But more often than not, our photos have a deeper meaning and a story to communicate. You’ve heard the saying, “a photo is worth a thousand words”, but it can be challenging to really tell a story through photos! So here are 4 tips to help you tell a story with your photographs.

Start With a Plan

Before starting out on your photographic adventure, take a minute to think about the shots you want to get.

If you’re going to tell a story, you’re going to need a plan. This does not mean thinking up a list of shots you want to get and forcing them to happen. It does mean thinking about the sequence of events that are going to take place and thinking about what some specific moments are that you know will happen and that you want to try and get. Say you were going to Disneyland with your family and you wanted to tell the story of the day. You would start by thinking about what’s going to happen and where. You know you’ll be waiting outside the gates, you know you’re going to get a churro, and you know you’re going to ride on the teacups. Having an idea of what you want to capture will help you be prepared throughout the day.

Include Lots of Details

Stepping back and photographing the whole table would be a natural response, but getting closer and focusing on some of the small details tells us much more of a story.

It’s important to include both the landscape pictures that show everything as well as small details. This is focused on the details. The details can make or break your photo story telling. You want to include small details that will communicate to those viewing your photos what is really going on and why it matters. So you’re at Disneyland. A photo of you all standing in line is part of the story, but what might communicate something more? Maybe a close up photo of your mom bending down to scoop up your 2 year old niece, and maybe even better when she gives the toddler a big old kiss that starts her squealing with laughter. The small details are important for showing all the raw emotion and making sure to communicate to those seeing your photos about what really happened in your story.

Emotions Are Important

The emotions in this picture are real and they make us feel something as well.

Emotions are the real way that you present a successful story. And you show emotion through facial expressions and body language. The challenge is to capture the real emotion, not the staged looks you often get when people know you are taking their photo. Take a step back, and try to capture people in a way that allows them to feel natural in what they are doing. When people are comfortable they are much more real. And real is where you’ll find the beauty and magic.

Don't Forget Lighting and Composition

Make sure that even though you are thinking about the story that you aren't forgetting about lighting and composition.

While trying to remember all the ways to tell a good story, don’t forget about your lighting and your composition. They are so important! It can be easy to forget them when you are getting so excited about the story unfolding around you, but slow down and take the time to make sure your photos are as strong as they can be. Finishing up with Disneyland, you’re waiting in line and your mom picks up your niece to give her a kiss. You hurry to take the picture and notice there are crazy shadows on the side of their faces. But a quick sidestep from you and those shadows are eliminated and you are left with a beautiful image that helps tell the story of your magical day in Disneyland. Storytelling is an art, and it takes time and practice. But with these 4 tips you will be better prepared to get out there and give it a try.

Have you ever tried to tell a story through photographs?