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Published: Friday 25th of January 2013

How to Write a Photo Essay

In the last couple of decades, visual communication has become increasingly present both in the media and in our everyday lives. Video and photography are modern means of telling a story. A photo essay represents a series of images, organized in a particular succession so that it depicted a specific emotion or concept or events unfolding in a specific way. Photo essays vary from those that are composed solely of photographs, photographs with descriptions or subtitles to those in which the text is predominant and photos are used to complement or illustrate the written text. Photo essays are becoming widely used by the members of the press, people in the advertising industry, bloggers. They are a handy tool for expressing emotions, creating a "how to" instruction, or showing the unfolding of events. Making a photo essay can be divided into three sections: selection of the topic, creating the images and developing the organizational structure of the essay.

Selection of the topic

  • Make use of the things happening around you on a daily basis. Most people follow with at least some degree of interest the social happenings in their immediate surroundings. The topics can range from simple ones like holiday preparations in your neighborhood to those that are more complex and involve a certain degree of analysis of social events or emotional investment in the topic such as the rising crime rates in the vicinity or homelessness.
  • Local events always stir up interest in the community. Whether they are a concert of a local high-school band or a street flower market, they are bound to have at least some people really passionate about it, and even more of those who are at least mildly intrigued by the event. If you plan your photo shooting in advance, you could even arrange with the organizers to have your photo essay put on their bulletin board or their website.
  • Find inspiration for your photographs in your workplace or photograph your hobby. You could make a photo essay about an employee`s typical day at work, or your work can be used to present the company for which you work to the public, to serve promotional or advertising purposes. Such photo essay can find its way to the company's website or social media page, or even your own personal page – whatever you choose, you are bound to have some viewers. Hobbies make excellent photo essay topics. There are always people interested in the same hobby as you. The photos can demonstrate your level of skill at something or be a "how to" guide for those thinking of taking up the same hobby.
  • Choose an inspiring subject. It should be something you find appealing. If it is something you are excited about or care about a great deal, you will be able to convey your passion to your audience. Also, think about the availability of the subject. It should be something within your reach and relatively easy to capture.
  • Consider your target group. Before you start shooting, you need to know a few things about your audience. You should have a general idea of who you want to present your essay to, what these people expect to see, what interests them. You can choose a subject with impact on broader audiences, such as unemployment or social inequities, but sometimes a more personal subject can spark more interest.
  • Decide whether you would use the narrative or the thematic method in creating and presenting your photo essay. Narrative photo essays are all about telling a story: a day at the office, or a typical morning routine, or a series of photos depicting how certain things, like the construction of a new playground, are progressing on a daily or hourly basis. Thematic photo essays center around a theme like homelessness or soldiers returning home from deployment overseas. They consider the full context of the issue, but then portray specific examples, or focus on stories of individual persons within that particular frame of reference. Sometimes it is up to you to choose the exact format you feel most comfortable using, but other times, especially if you were commissioned to create a photo essay, the format will be pre-determined by the requirements of the publication that will print it.

Photo-shoot preparation

  • Obtaining waivers or written consents from those you plan to photograph. These are necessary whether you intend to publish your photo essay commercially or use it in social media, or any other place. Even in case you are not familiar with the legislation on using other people's photographs, it is always wise to get permission. You should be extra careful to ask parental consent when photographing children. Additionally, institutions like schools or day-care centers have policies of their own on who and under which circumstances can have their picture taken. Make sure you do not pressure anyone into signing a waiver. It should be just as easy to refuse as it is to accept to be photographed.
  • Do some research on the subject. If you want your audience to get an accurate sense of what your topic is really about, you should familiarize yourself with it beforehand. Read anything you can find about it online, talk to people involved with it, and ask them what they find interesting about it. Find out what is specific about the topic or the protagonists. Which fundamental values or emotions lie in the center of this topic? This will help you to get a better understanding of what the topic of your photo essay really is and to plan your photo-shoot so that your photos would really show its essence.
  • Draft an outline. As in written forms of essays, an outline allows you to get an idea of how you will commence with your work, what it will encompass and in what order. The outline of a photo essay consists of at least a focus or a signature image, an establishing shot, multiple detail shots and an end photo called the "clincher."
  • Select the signature photo. It should be the one that really shows the essence of the subject. A fireman rushing out of a burning building with a rescued child in his hands is indicative of the heroic efforts exerted by firefighters for example.
  • Capture the establishing shot. It shows the context of the story. It is a wide-angle shot which includes a background with multiple people allowing the viewers to get a general idea of what the photo essay is about and who it involves.
  • Determine what kind of detail photos you will need. They are basically close-ups of people's faces, activities, interactions or objects.
  • Find the "clincher." It is the photo you will end your photo essay with, the one which conveys a message and/or provokes an emotional response in your audience. There is no detailed instruction on how to find the clincher, but when you do find it, you will know.