For the Digital Photojournalism class at Sherdian College, Trafalgar Campus, Winter 2010

1. The Photo Essay
Telling Stories With Pictures
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

2. Types
• Time Sequence
• Location Based
• Ideas/Conceptual
• Event
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

3. 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

4. Maude Callen
• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

5. Maude Callen
• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

6. Maude Callen
• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

7. Maude Callen
• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

8. Maude Callen
• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

9. Maude Callen
• W. Eugene Smith Life “Nurse Midwife” Dec 3, 1951
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

10. 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

11. Ed Kashi (Editor)
India’s Highways • LINK
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

12. 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
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

13. Menzel
• Hungry Planet
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

14. Material World
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

15. Material World
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

16. Material World
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

17. Material World
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

18. Material World
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

19. 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
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

20. Tejanos Music FL
• Anything by Salgado
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

21. Tejanos Music FL
• Anything by Salgado
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

22. 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 ?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

23. 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
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

24. The Real Story
• After research, your questions should
help you develop your angle
• What will your approach be?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

25. 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
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

26. 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

27. 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)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

28. The Narrative
• All Stories have ...
• Complications/Conflict and
Resolutions
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

29. Story Arcs
• Standard 8 elements in almost all
stories
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

30. Story Arcs
• Standard 8 elements in almost all
stories
Stasis
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

31. Story Arcs
• Standard 8 elements in almost all
stories
Stasis
Trigger
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

32. Story Arcs
• Standard 8 elements in almost all
stories
Stasis The Quest
Trigger
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

33. Story Arcs
• Standard 8 elements in almost all
Surprise
stories
Stasis The Quest
Trigger
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

34. Story Arcs
• Standard 8 elements in almost all
Surprise
stories
Stasis The Quest
Trigger
Critical Choice
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

35. Climax Story Arcs
• Standard 8 elements in almost all
Surprise
stories
Stasis The Quest
Trigger
Critical Choice
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

36. Climax Story Arcs
• Standard 8 elements in almost all
Surprise
stories
Stasis The Quest
Trigger
lasreveR or Critical Choice
Consequence
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

37. Climax Story Arcs
Conclusion
• Standard 8 elements in almost all
Surprise
stories
Stasis The Quest
Trigger
lasreveR or Critical Choice
Consequence
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

38. 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

39. 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

40. Smith’s Photo Essay
• Like a play
• 3 Acts
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

41. Act One
• Brought in for a difficult birth (complication)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

42. Act One
• Healthy Baby = Resolution
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

43. Act Two
• Summer Camp requires two dresses
and pajamas (complication)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

44. Act Two
• Maude provides the clothes needed (resolution)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

45. Act Three
• Maude brings dying child to the doctor (complication)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

46. Act Three
• Maude teaches the next generation of midwives (resolution for whole story)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

47. The Personal Narrative
• LINK
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

48. The Personal Narrative
• LINK
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

49. Extras
• Photo Essay Mag UnFrame
• NYT’s One in 8 Million
• NPPA
• NPR’s Picture Show
• MediaStorm
• Salgado
Wednesday, March 3, 2010