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23 Photo Essay Ideas and Examples (to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing!)

A Post By: Kevin Landwer-Johan

Looking for inspiration? Our 23 photo essay ideas will take your photography skills to new heights!

A single, strong photograph can convey a lot of information about its subject – but sometimes we have topics that require more than one image to do the job. That’s when it’s time to make a photo essay: a collection of pictures that together tell the bigger story around a chosen theme.

In the following sections, we’ll explore various photo essay ideas and examples that cover a wide range of subjects and purposes. From capturing the growth of your children to documenting local festivals, each idea offers an exciting opportunity to tell a story through your lens, whether you’re a hobbyist or a veteran professional.

So grab your camera, unleash your creativity, and let’s delve into the wonderful world of photo essay examples!

What is a photo essay?

Simply put, a photo essay is a series of carefully selected images woven together to tell a story or convey a message. Think of it as a visual narrative that designed to capture attention and spark emotions.

Now, these images can revolve around a broad theme or focus on a specific storyline. For instance, you might create a photo essay celebrating the joy of companionship by capturing 10 heartwarming pictures of people sharing genuine laughter. On the other hand, you could have a photo essay delving into the everyday lives of fishermen in Wales by following a single fisherman’s journey for a day or even a week.

It’s important to note that photo essays don’t necessarily have to stick to absolute truth. While some documentary photographers prefer to keep it authentic, others may employ techniques like manipulation or staging to create a more artistic impact. So there is room for creativity and interpretation.

Why you should create a photo essay

Photo essays have a way of expressing ideas and stories that words sometimes struggle to capture. They offer a visual narrative that can be incredibly powerful and impactful.

Firstly, photo essays are perfect when you have an idea or a point you want to convey, but you find yourself at a loss for words. Sometimes, emotions and concepts are better conveyed through images rather than paragraphs. So if you’re struggling to articulate a message, you can let your photos do the talking for you.

Second, if you’re interested in subjects that are highly visual, like the mesmerizing forms of architecture within a single city, photo essays are the way to go. Trying to describe the intricate details of a building or the play of light and shadows with words alone can be challenging. But through a series of captivating images, you can immerse your audience in the architecture.

And finally, if you’re aiming to evoke emotions or make a powerful statement, photo essays are outstanding. Images have an incredible ability to shock, inspire, and move people in ways that words often struggle to achieve. So if you want to raise awareness about an environmental issue or ignite a sense of empathy, a compelling series of photographs can have a profound impact.

Photo essay examples and ideas

Looking to create a photo essay but don’t know where to start? Here are some handy essay ideas and examples for inspiration!

1. A day in the life

Your first photo essay idea is simple: Track a life over the course of one day. You might make an essay about someone else’s life. Or the life of a location, such as the sidewalk outside your house. 

The subject matter you choose is up to you. But start in the morning and create a series of images showing your subject over the course of a typical day.

(Alternatively, you can document your subject on a special day, like a birthday, a wedding, or some other celebration.)

2. Capture hands

Portraits focus on a subject’s face – but why not mix it up and make a photo essay that focuses on your subject’s hands?

(You can also focus on a collection of different people’s hands.)

Hands can tell you a lot about a person. And showing them in context is a great way to narrate a story.

3. Follow a sports team for a full season

Sports are all about emotions – both from the passionate players and the dedicated fans. While capturing the intensity of a single game can be exhilarating, imagine the power of telling the complete story of a team throughout an entire season.

For the best results, you’ll need to invest substantial time in sports photography. Choose a team that resonates with you and ensure their games are within a drivable distance. By photographing their highs and lows, celebrations and challenges, you’ll create a compelling photo essay that traces their journey from the first game to the last.

4. A child and their parent

Photographs that catch the interaction between parents and children are special. A parent-child connection is strong and unique, so making powerful images isn’t challenging. You just need to be ready to capture the special moments as they happen. 

You might concentrate on a parent teaching their child. Or the pair playing sports. Or working on a special project.

Use your imagination, and you’ll have a great time with this theme.

5. Tell a local artist’s story 

I’ve always enjoyed photographing artists as they work; studios have a creative vibe, so the energy is already there. Bring your camera into this environment and try to tell the artist’s story!

An artist’s studio offers plenty of opportunities for wonderful photo essays. Think about the most fascinating aspects of the artist’s process. What do they do that makes their art special? Aim to show this in your photos.

Many people appreciate fine art, but they’re often not aware of what happens behind the scenes. So documenting an artist can produce fascinating visual stories.

6. Show a tradesperson’s process

Do you have a plumber coming over to fix your kitchen sink? Is a builder making you a new deck?

Take photos while they work! Tell them what you want to do before you start, and don’t forget to share your photos with them.

They’ll probably appreciate seeing what they do from another perspective. They may even want to use your photos on their company website.

7. Photograph your kids as they grow

There’s something incredibly special about documenting the growth of our little ones. Kids grow up so quickly – before you know it, they’re moving out. Why not capture the beautiful moments along the way by creating a heartwarming photo essay that showcases their growth?

There are various approaches you can take, but one idea is to capture regular photos of your kids standing in front of a distinct point of reference, such as the refrigerator. Over a year or several years, you can gather these images and place them side by side to witness your childrens’ incredible transformations.

8. Cover a local community event

A school fundraiser, a tree-planting day at a park, or a parade; these are are all community events that make for good photo essay ideas.

Think like a photojournalist . What type of images would your editor want? Make sure to capture some wide-angle compositions , some medium shots, and some close-ups.

(Getting in close to show the details can often tell as much of a story as the wider pictures.)

9. Show fresh market life

Markets are great for photography because there’s always plenty of activity and lots of characters. Think of how you can best illustrate the flow of life at the market. What are the vendors doing that’s most interesting? What are the habits of the shoppers?

Look to capture the essence of the place. Try to portray the people who work and shop there.

10. Shoot the same location over time

What location do you visit regularly? Is there a way you can make an interesting photo essay about it?

Consider what you find most attractive and ugly about the place. Look for aspects that change over time. 

Any outdoor location will look different throughout the day. Also think about the changes that occur from season to season. Create an essay that tells the story of the place.

11. Document a local festival

Festivals infuse cities and towns with vibrant energy and unique cultural experiences. Even if your own town doesn’t have notable festivals, chances are a neighboring town does. Explore the magic of these celebrations by documenting a local festival through your lens.

Immerse yourself in the festivities, arriving early and staying late. Capture the colorful displays and the people who make the festival come alive. If the festival spans multiple days, consider focusing on different areas each time you visit to create a diverse and comprehensive photo essay that truly reflects the essence of the event.

12. Photograph a garden through the seasons

It might be your own garden . It could be the neighbor’s. It could even be the garden at your local park.

Think about how the plants change during the course of a year. Capture photos of the most significant visual differences, then present them as a photo essay.

13. Show your local town or city

After spending several years in a particular area, you likely possess an intimate knowledge of your local town or city. Why not utilize that familiarity to create a captivating photo essay that showcases the essence of your community?

Delve into what makes your town special, whether it’s the charming streets, unique landmarks, or the people who shape its character. Dedicate time to capturing the diverse aspects that define your locale. If you’re up for a more extensive project, consider photographing the town over the course of an entire year, capturing the changing seasons and the dynamic spirit of your community.

14. Pick a local cause to highlight

Photo essays can go beyond passive documentation; they can become a part of your activism, too!

So find a cause that matters to you. Tell the story of some aspect of community life that needs improvement. Is there an ongoing issue with litter in your area? How about traffic; is there a problematic intersection?

Document these issues, then make sure to show the photos to people responsible for taking action.

15. Making a meal

Photo essay ideas can be about simple, everyday things – like making a meal or a coffee.

How can you creatively illustrate something that seems so mundane? My guess is that, when you put your mind to it, you can come up with many unique perspectives, all of which will make great stories.

16. Capture the life of a flower

In our fast-paced lives, it’s easy to overlook the beauty that surrounds us. Flowers, with their mesmerizing colors and rapid life cycles, offer a captivating subject for a photo essay. Try to slow down and appreciate the intricate details of a flower’s existence.

With a macro lens in hand, document a single flower or a patch of flowers from their initial shoots to their inevitable wilting and decomposition. Experiment with different angles and perspectives to bring viewers into the enchanting world of the flower. By freezing these fleeting moments, you’ll create a visual narrative that celebrates the cycle of life and the exquisite beauty found in nature’s delicate creations.

17. Religious traditions

Religion is often rich with visual expression in one form or another. So capture it!

Of course, you may need to narrow down your ideas and choose a specific aspect of worship to photograph. Aim to show what people do when they visit a holy place, or how they pray on their own. Illustrate what makes their faith real and what’s special about it.

18. Historic sites

Historic sites are often iconic, and plenty of photographers take a snapshot or two.

But with a photo essay, you can illustrate the site’s history in greater depth.

Look for details of the location that many visitors miss. And use these to build an interesting story.

19. Show the construction of a building

Ever been away from a familiar place for a while only to return and find that things have changed? It happens all the time, especially in areas undergoing constant development. So why not grab your camera and document this transformation?

Here’s the idea: Find a building that’s currently under construction in your area. It could be a towering skyscraper, a modern office complex, or even a small-scale residential project. Whatever catches your eye! Then let the magic of photography unfold.

Make it a habit to take a photo every day or two. Watch as the building gradually takes shape and evolves. Capture the construction workers in action, the cranes reaching for the sky, and the scaffolding supporting the structure.

Once the building is complete, you’ll have a treasure trove of images that chronicle its construction from start to finish!

20. Document the changing skyline of the city

This photo essay example is like the previous one, except it works on a much larger scale. Instead of photographing a single building as it’s built, find a nice vantage point outside your nearest city, then photograph the changing skyline.

To create a remarkable photo essay showcasing the changing skyline, you’ll need to scout out the perfect vantage point. Seek high ground that offers a commanding view of the city, allowing you to frame the skyline against the horizon. Look for spots that give you an unobstructed perspective, whether a rooftop terrace, a hillside park, or even a nearby bridge.

As you set out on your photography expedition, be patient and observant. Cities don’t transform overnight; they change gradually over time. Embrace the passage of days, weeks, and months as you witness the slow evolution unfold.

Pro tip: To capture the essence of this transformation, experiment with various photographic techniques. Play with different angles, framing, and compositions to convey the grandeur and dynamism of the changing skyline. Plus, try shooting during the golden hours of sunrise and sunset , when the soft light bathes the city in a warm glow and accentuates the architectural details.

21. Photograph your pet

If you’re a pet owner, you already have the perfect subject for a photo essay!

All pets , with the possible exception of pet rocks, will provide you with a collection of interesting moments to photograph.

So collect these moments with your camera – then display them as a photo essay showing the nature and character of your pet.

22. Tell the story of a local nature preserve

Ah, the wonders of a local nature preserve! While it may not boast the grandeur of Yosemite National Park, these hidden gems hold their own beauty, just waiting to be discovered and captured through the lens of your camera.

To embark on this type of photo essay adventure, start by exploring all the nooks and crannies of your chosen nature preserve. Wander along its winding trails, keeping an eye out for unique and captivating subjects that convey the essence of the preserve.

As you go along, try to photograph the intricate details of delicate wildflowers, the interplay of light filtering through a dense forest canopy, and the lively activities of birds and other wildlife.

23. Show the same subject from multiple perspectives

It’s possible to create an entire photo essay in a single afternoon – or even in a handful of minutes. If you don’t love the idea of dedicating yourself to days of photographing for a single essay, this is a great option.

Simply find a subject you like, then endeavor to capture 10 unique images that include it. I’d recommend photographing from different angles: up above, down low, from the right and left. You can also try getting experimental with creative techniques, such as intentional camera movement and freelensing. If all goes well, you’ll have a very cool set of images featuring one of your favorite subjects!

By showcasing the same subject from multiple perspectives, you invite viewers on a visual journey. They get to see different facets, textures, and details that they might have overlooked in a single photograph. It adds depth and richness to your photo essay, making it both immersive and dynamic.

Photo essay ideas: final words

Remember: Photo essays are all about communicating a concept or a story through images rather than words. So embrace the process and use images to express yourself!

Whether you choose to follow a sports team through a thrilling season, document the growth of your little ones, or explore the hidden treasures of your local town, each photo essay has its own magic waiting to be unlocked. It’s a chance to explore your creativity and create images in your own style.

So look at the world around you. Grab your gear and venture out into the wild. Embrace the beauty of nature, the energy of a bustling city, or the quiet moments that make life special. Consider what you see every day. What aspects interest you the most? Photograph those things.

You’re bound to end up with some amazing photo essays!

Now over to you:

Do you have any photo essay examples you’re proud of? Do you have any more photo essay ideas? Share your thoughts and images in the comments below!

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Kevin Landwer-Johan is a photographer, photography teacher, and author with over 30 years of experience that he loves to share with others.

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18 Immersive Photo Essay Examples & Tips

By Tata Rossi 13 days ago, Professional photography

A photo essay tells a story or evokes emotion through a series of photographs. The essays allow you to be creative and fully explore an idea. Such essays exist in a variety of forms – from photos only to images with brief comments or written essays accompanied by shots. Choose a photo essay example that you can easily do based on your professional level and the equipment you use.

1. Protests

• View the “Resistance” photo essay by David Moore .

A great idea for photo essays for students is to shoot the protest to show its power. You can capture people with signs and banners to demonstrate what they are standing for. Besides, you can learn how to capture moving subjects. Use the best example of photo essay and don’t forget about angles, composition, and framing.

To create a photo essay , go up to the front and photograph the leader of the protesters walking forward. After that, go back to the end of the group to take pictures of families joining the protest. As a result, you will gain experience shooting big groups of people in motion.

2. Transformation

• View the “A Self-Portrait Every Day” photo essay by Noah Kalina .

This idea is all about capturing the way a person changes. You may take photos of a pregnant woman and then capture the same model with a child. By documenting the development of the child for several years, you can tell a great story in the form of a photo essay.

However, you can also create a photo essay about the transformation of different objects. For instance, you can create a time-lapse series to capture the history of a renovated building. While you will have to take a lot of similar photos to bring this idea to life, it will allow you to achieve an impressive result.

3. Local Event

• View the “Monday Marathon” photo essay by Quinn G. Perini .

Whether you are a resident of a large city or a small town, you can find an opportunity to visit a local event, like a marathon or a festival. This is a nice chance to follow modern photography trends and bring photo essay ideas to life.

You can capture the before-and-after stages of the event. Arrive earlier and take pictures of the preparation activities, then shoot the actual event starting with the official beginning.

Keep photographing even when the event is over and capture the cleaning up and disassembling processes.

4. Photowalk

• View the “Empty Campus” photo essay by Elise Trissel .

Explore the location where you live and find interesting objects to capture in the vicinity. Using the most interesting photo essay examples, you can decide how to make the best decisions. Don’t hurry and try to discover which angles you can use to capture the unique atmosphere of each place.

If you live in the city, you may capture architectural details, wide shots of busy streets, or just take photos of passersby and street signs. Think about the details that make every location unique. For instance, you can try capturing reflections to see how they allow you to see the city from an unusual angle. You can find reflections everywhere, so be sure to pay attention to mirrored buildings, puddles, and fountains.

5. Place Over Time

• View the “At Home in the Ozarks” photo essay by Kylee Cole .

If you want to document changes and show how the streets, buildings, and parks in your city change over time, select your favorite locations and start to visit them regularly to capture the way they look during different seasons.

• View the “Last Moments” photo essay by Ross Taylor .

You don’t necessarily have to focus on profound photo essay topics to evoke emotions. Capturing pets enjoying their worry-free and untroubled life seems like an easy but interesting activity.

Choose any animal – from a domestic bird to a dog, cat, or horse. For more emotional images, use such pet photography ideas when your pet is still a baby and recreate these shots when it is older or is in its final days.

7. Street Style

• View the Tribal Street Photography photo essay by Hans Eijkelboom .

People often express themselves with the help of clothes. The way passers-by on the streets are dressed may reflect the clothing style of a whole society. That’s why you can travel around the world and capture people’s outfits in various areas. When taking portrait photos in the streets, you can also include some of the surroundings to put them in the context.

You can ask people in the streets to pose for you or try to capture them in movement. Select a suitable location for taking photos and create a photo essay to document what kinds of people one can meet in this location. When doing urban photography , you should ask people for permission before taking photos of them. You can ask their contacts and send them your photos later.

8. Abandoned Building

• View the “Lost Collective” photo essay by Bret Pattman .

Old buildings are excellent architecture photography essay topics for students since you can capture a large number of elements. They allow you to imagine what a particular street looked like in the past. You may use a photo essay example for students as references.

Get approval before going in, but mind that such places are far from being totally safe. Bring various lenses: the macro lenses – for details and the wide-angle one – when you want to include many elements in one shot.

9. Alternative Lifestyles

• View the “Last Nomad Hippies” photo essay by Roberto Palomo .

Some people decide to lead a lifestyle that differs from the one generally accepted by society. Explore different areas and look for people with an unusual way of living. You can capture candid photos of regular people or take pictures of a person with an unusual hobby.

Take pictures of those, who reside in extraordinary conditions, representatives of various subcultures, or the LBGTQ community. These photo essay topics show other people that it is okay to go out of their comfort zone and run against the wind.

10. Social Issues

• View the “Juveniles in Prison” photo essay by Isadora Kosofsky .

The best photo essay examples for students are related to social issues, like unemployment, domestic violence, gender discrimination, and more. Address the topic carefully and look for a proper perspective.

Your shots may draw the people’s attention to a truly burning and relevant matter and have a stronger effect than any text.

11. Behind the Scenes

• View the “Follow Me” photo essay by Marius Masalar .

If you are going to visit an event, get ready to take some behind-the-scenes photos. For instance, you can document the preparations for a festival. Capture the work of the lead event planner and other professionals to tell the story of the festival from an unusual angle.

Alternatively, you can capture the events happening backstage during a drama production. Take pictures of actors and actresses when they are getting ready for the performance. Try capturing the emotions of the main lead and show how stage workers make final preparations. You can also document the work of designers and makeup professionals.

12. Landmarks

• View the “Volte-Face” photo essay by Oliver Curtis .

The pictures of landmarks are typically taken from a certain spot. One of the best photo essay ideas is to try shooting sights from various angles. You will also have an opportunity to improve your composition and your framing skills.

If you take a look at any pictorial essay example, you will see that the variety of perspectives is endless: through the streets, in the morning, afternoon, and evening, with a drone or including reflections.

    • View the “Family” photo essay by Olivia Moore .

You can capture the way family members interact with each other and demonstrate the strong connection they share. In some cases, it makes sense to focus on capturing candid photos when doing family photography .

However, you may also opt for a different approach and focus on more difficult social topics. For instance, if you want to examine the issue of immigration, you can take pictures of a family from another country. In addition, you may show how families cope with other social issues, including poverty or unequal access to healthcare.

14. A Day in the Life

• View the “A Day in the Life of Carlos Gaytan” photo essay by Sandy Noto .

One of the best photo essays concepts is related to a day in a person’s life. The main character can be any person – a relative, family member, teacher, writer, or policeman.

People are generally interested in finding out facts about the lives and daily routines of others. The life of every human is incredible, especially if you learn it in more detail. This idea is especially suitable for taking documentary photos. For instance, you can select any photo essay sample you like and then capture a portrait of a person with the tools they use for their work.

15. Education

• View the “School Day” photo essay by Nancy Borowick .

You can also take great photos in the classroom capturing the interactions of teachers and their students. Avoid distracting them, as it will be easier for you to take natural shots. Using a variety of settings, you can make your photo essay more engaging. For instance, you may visit chemistry labs, capture teachers during a break, and take photos in other locations.

• View the “Meals From the Motherland” photo essay by James Tran .

You can also focus on specific meals to create a professional photo essay about food. To make it more attention-grabbing, try using different food photography ideas .

For instance, you can take photos of popular meals, capture the meals made by a specific person, or document cooking traditions in different countries. When taking photos in a restaurant, pay attention to the surroundings as well to capture the unique atmosphere of a place.

17. Capture the Neighbors

• View the “Our Neighbors” photo essay by Jeanne Martin .

Regardless of the place where you live, you have to establish good relationships with your neighbors. People who live nearby can also be great models for professionals who specialize in portrait photography. To implement this idea, make sure to capture people at home or in front of their houses to include some of the surroundings in your photo essay.

You will discover many interesting facts about people who live nearby. Shooting a photo essay will allow you to learn them better and establish a strong connection with them. This way, you can create a sense of community and discover what holds its members together.

18. Climate Change

• View the “Effects of Climate Change” photo essay by Sanya Gupta .

It is possible to a variety of photo story ideas bring to life examining the impact of climate change. Travel to places most affected by climate change, for instance, glaciers or famous resorts.

Capture the way the continuous drought has influenced the environment, animals, and the inhabitants. As an alternative, take pictures of environmentalist protests or inexhaustible energy sources.

Photo Essay Tips for Students

Explore your topic . An in-depth exploration of the main topic of your photo essay will help you find the best ideas for conveying your message. You can also find some sources for inspiration and useful materials. This stage allows you to learn more about your subject and select the best way of organizing your photo essay.

Create a storyboard . Using a storyboard, you can better understand what shots you need to take and what order can help you to tell a story in the best way. It will also allow you to create the right mood.

Take as many pictures as you can . To create a compelling story, make sure to take a lot of photos. It will allow you to choose the best pictures for your photo essay. Besides, you will always have backup photos if some of your pictures get damaged.

Experiment with different techniques . By changing the angle and using a variety of editing techniques, you can transform the way your photos look. When taking photos, try using different angles to capture the subject in the best way. You can also try changing the distance from the model, using black-and-white film, or employing a range of developing methods.

Add text . While some photographers create photo essays without text, it can still help you bring your point across more clearly and make it easier for a viewer to understand what you imply. By providing extra information, such as some facts, you can change the perception of your image. If you don’t know how to write descriptions, you can hire a professional writer to perform this task.

Enhance your photos . To edit your pictures, make sure to use professional photo editing software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop. Using the available tools, you can improve and change your photos. They allow you to fix issues with lighting, adjust WB, make colors richer, crop your pics to improve the composition, and perform other tasks. In case you need to edit your photos in a consistent style, you can use Photoshop Actions or Lightroom Presets.

In some cases, your pictures may require more advanced editing. If you see that your skills are insufficient or if you don’t have enough time, you can outsource the task of enhancing your photos to the FixThePhoto team. They will professionally enhance your pictures for a budget price. Their prices start from $1.50 per photo.

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In this bundle, you will find actions created by experienced professionals who used recent photo enhancement trends to create convenient editing tools. Here, you will find a collection of brushes, patterns, overlays, and other effects for editing your photos in a realistic way.

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17 Awesome Photo Essay Examples You Should Try Yourself

You can also select your interests for free access to our premium training:

If you’re looking for a photo essay example (or 17!), you’ve come to the right place. But what is the purpose of a photo essay? A photo essay is intended to tell a story or evoke emotion from the viewers through a series of photographs. They allow you to be creative and fully explore an idea. But how do you make one yourself? Here’s a list of photo essay examples. Choose one that you can easily do based on your photographic level and equipment.

Top 17 Photo Essay Examples

Here are some fantastic ideas to get you inspired to create your own photo essays!

17. Photograph a Protest

16. Transformation Photo Essays

15. Photograph the Same Place

14. Create a Photowalk

13. Follow the Change

12. Photograph a Local Event

11. Photograph an Abandoned Building

10. Behind the Scenes of a Photo Shoot

9. Capture Street Fashion

8. Landmark Photo Essay

7. Fathers & Children

6. A Day In the Life

5. Education Photo Essay

4. Fictitious Meals

3. Photograph Coffee Shops Using Cafenol

2. Photograph the Photographers

1. Capture the Neighbors

Photo essays tell stories. And there are plenty of amazingly interesting stories to tell! Photographing photo essays is a great way to practice your photography skills while having fun. You might even learn something! These photo essay examples are here to provide you with the inspiration to go out and tell your own stories through photos!

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How to Create an Engaging Photo Essay (with Examples)

Photo essays tell a story in pictures. They're a great way to improve at photography and story-telling skills at once. Learn how to do create a great one.

Learn | Photography Guides | By Ana Mireles

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Photography is a medium used to tell stories – sometimes they are told in one picture, sometimes you need a whole series. Those series can be photo essays.

If you’ve never done a photo essay before, or you’re simply struggling to find your next project, this article will be of help. I’ll be showing you what a photo essay is and how to go about doing one.

You’ll also find plenty of photo essay ideas and some famous photo essay examples from recent times that will serve you as inspiration.

If you’re ready to get started, let’s jump right in!

Table of Contents

What is a Photo Essay?

A photo essay is a series of images that share an overarching theme as well as a visual and technical coherence to tell a story. Some people refer to a photo essay as a photo series or a photo story – this often happens in photography competitions.

Photographic history is full of famous photo essays. Think about The Great Depression by Dorothea Lange, Like Brother Like Sister by Wolfgang Tillmans, Gandhi’s funeral by Henri Cartier Bresson, amongst others.

What are the types of photo essay?

Despite popular belief, the type of photo essay doesn’t depend on the type of photography that you do – in other words, journalism, documentary, fine art, or any other photographic genre is not a type of photo essay.

Instead, there are two main types of photo essays: narrative and thematic .

As you have probably already guessed, the thematic one presents images pulled together by a topic – for example, global warming. The images can be about animals and nature as well as natural disasters devastating cities. They can happen all over the world or in the same location, and they can be captured in different moments in time – there’s a lot of flexibility.

A narrative photo essa y, on the other hand, tells the story of a character (human or not), portraying a place or an event. For example, a narrative photo essay on coffee would document the process from the planting and harvesting – to the roasting and grinding until it reaches your morning cup.

What are some of the key elements of a photo essay?

• Tell a unique story – A unique story doesn’t mean that you have to photograph something that nobody has done before – that would be almost impossible! It means that you should consider what you’re bringing to the table on a particular topic.
• Put yourself into the work – One of the best ways to make a compelling photo essay is by adding your point of view, which can only be done with your life experiences and the way you see the world.
• Add depth to the concept – The best photo essays are the ones that go past the obvious and dig deeper in the story, going behind the scenes, or examining a day in the life of the subject matter – that’s what pulls in the spectator.
• Nail the technique – Even if the concept and the story are the most important part of a photo essay, it won’t have the same success if it’s poorly executed.
• Build a structure – A photo essay is about telling a thought-provoking story – so, think about it in a narrative way. Which images are going to introduce the topic? Which ones represent a climax? How is it going to end – how do you want the viewer to feel after seeing your photo series?
• Make strong choices – If you really want to convey an emotion and a unique point of view, you’re going to need to make some hard decisions. Which light are you using? Which lens? How many images will there be in the series? etc., and most importantly for a great photo essay is the why behind those choices.

9 Tips for Creating a Photo Essay

Credit: Laura James

1. Choose something you know

To make a good photo essay, you don’t need to travel to an exotic location or document a civil war – I mean, it’s great if you can, but you can start close to home.

Depending on the type of photography you do and the topic you’re looking for in your photographic essay, you can photograph a local event or visit an abandoned building outside your town.

It will be much easier for you to find a unique perspective and tell a better story if you’re already familiar with the subject. Also, consider that you might have to return a few times to the same location to get all the photos you need.

2. Follow your passion

Most photo essays take dedication and passion. If you choose a subject that might be easy, but you’re not really into it – the results won’t be as exciting. Taking photos will always be easier and more fun if you’re covering something you’re passionate about.

3. Take your time

A great photo essay is not done in a few hours. You need to put in the time to research it, conceptualizing it, editing, etc. That’s why I previously recommended following your passion because it takes a lot of dedication, and if you’re not passionate about it – it’s difficult to push through.

4. Write a summary or statement

Photo essays are always accompanied by some text. You can do this in the form of an introduction, write captions for each photo or write it as a conclusion. That’s up to you and how you want to present the work.

5. Learn from the masters

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Making a photographic essay takes a lot of practice and knowledge. A great way to become a better photographer and improve your storytelling skills is by studying the work of others. You can go to art shows, review books and magazines and look at the winners in photo contests – most of the time, there’s a category for photo series.

6. Get a wide variety of photos

Think about a story – a literary one. It usually tells you where the story is happening, who is the main character, and it gives you a few details to make you engage with it, right?

The same thing happens with a visual story in a photo essay – you can do some wide-angle shots to establish the scenes and some close-ups to show the details. Make a shot list to ensure you cover all the different angles.

Some of your pictures should guide the viewer in, while others are more climatic and regard the experience they are taking out of your photos.

7. Follow a consistent look

Both in style and aesthetics, all the images in your series need to be coherent. You can achieve this in different ways, from the choice of lighting, the mood, the post-processing, etc.

8. Be self-critical

Once you have all the photos, make sure you edit them with a good dose of self-criticism. Not all the pictures that you took belong in the photo essay. Choose only the best ones and make sure they tell the full story.

9. Ask for constructive feedback

Often, when we’re working on a photo essay project for a long time, everything makes perfect sense in our heads. However, someone outside the project might not be getting the idea. It’s important that you get honest and constructive criticism to improve your photography.

How to Create a Photo Essay in 5 Steps

Credit: Quang Nguyen Vinh

1. Choose your topic

This is the first step that you need to take to decide if your photo essay is going to be narrative or thematic. Then, choose what is it going to be about?

Ideally, it should be something that you’re interested in, that you have something to say about it, and it can connect with other people.

2. Research your topic

To tell a good story about something, you need to be familiar with that something. This is especially true when you want to go deeper and make a compelling photo essay. Day in the life photo essays are a popular choice, since often, these can be performed with friends and family, whom you already should know well.

3. Plan your photoshoot

Depending on what you’re photographing, this step can be very different from one project to the next. For a fine art project, you might need to find a location, props, models, a shot list, etc., while a documentary photo essay is about planning the best time to do the photos, what gear to bring with you, finding a local guide, etc.

Every photo essay will need different planning, so before taking pictures, put in the required time to get things right.

4. Experiment

It’s one thing to plan your photo shoot and having a shot list that you have to get, or else the photo essay won’t be complete. It’s another thing to miss out on some amazing photo opportunities that you couldn’t foresee.

So, be prepared but also stay open-minded and experiment with different settings, different perspectives, etc.

5. Make a final selection

Editing your work can be one of the hardest parts of doing a photo essay. Sometimes we can be overly critical, and others, we get attached to bad photos because we put a lot of effort into them or we had a great time doing them.

Try to be as objective as possible, don’t be afraid to ask for opinions and make various revisions before settling down on a final cut.

7 Photo Essay Topics, Ideas & Examples

Credit: Michelle Leman

• Architectural photo essay

Using architecture as your main subject, there are tons of photo essay ideas that you can do. For some inspiration, you can check out the work of Francisco Marin – who was trained as an architect and then turned to photography to “explore a different way to perceive things”.

You can also lookup Luisa Lambri. Amongst her series, you’ll find many photo essay examples in which architecture is the subject she uses to explore the relationship between photography and space.

• Process and transformation photo essay

This is one of the best photo essay topics for beginners because the story tells itself. Pick something that has a beginning and an end, for example, pregnancy, the metamorphosis of a butterfly, the life-cycle of a plant, etc.

Keep in mind that these topics are linear and give you an easy way into the narrative flow – however, it might be difficult to find an interesting perspective and a unique point of view.

• A day in the life of ‘X’ photo essay

There are tons of interesting photo essay ideas in this category – you can follow around a celebrity, a worker, your child, etc. You don’t even have to do it about a human subject – think about doing a photo essay about a day in the life of a racing horse, for example – find something that’s interesting for you.

• Time passing by photo essay

It can be a natural site or a landmark photo essay – whatever is close to you will work best as you’ll need to come back multiple times to capture time passing by. For example, how this place changes throughout the seasons or maybe even over the years.

A fun option if you live with family is to document a birthday party each year, seeing how the subject changes over time. This can be combined with a transformation essay or sorts, documenting the changes in interpersonal relationships over time.

• Travel photo essay

Do you want to make the jump from tourist snapshots into a travel photo essay? Research the place you’re going to be travelling to. Then, choose a topic.

If you’re having trouble with how to do this, check out any travel magazine – National Geographic, for example. They won’t do a generic article about Texas – they do an article about the beach life on the Texas Gulf Coast and another one about the diverse flavors of Texas.

The more specific you get, the deeper you can go with the story.

• Socio-political issues photo essay

This is one of the most popular photo essay examples – it falls under the category of photojournalism or documental photography. They are usually thematic, although it’s also possible to do a narrative one.

Depending on your topic of interest, you can choose topics that involve nature – for example, document the effects of global warming. Another idea is to photograph protests or make an education photo essay.

It doesn’t have to be a big global issue; you can choose something specific to your community – are there too many stray dogs? Make a photo essay about a local animal shelter. The topics are endless.

• Behind the scenes photo essay

A behind-the-scenes always make for a good photo story – people are curious to know what happens and how everything comes together before a show.

Depending on your own interests, this can be a photo essay about a fashion show, a theatre play, a concert, and so on. You’ll probably need to get some permissions, though, not only to shoot but also to showcase or publish those images.

4 Best Photo Essays in Recent times

Now that you know all the techniques about it, it might be helpful to look at some photo essay examples to see how you can put the concept into practice. Here are some famous photo essays from recent times to give you some inspiration.

Habibi by Antonio Faccilongo

This photo essay wan the World Press Photo Story of the Year in 2021. Faccilongo explores a very big conflict from a very specific and intimate point of view – how the Israeli-Palestinian war affects the families.

He chose to use a square format because it allows him to give order to things and eliminate unnecessary elements in his pictures.

With this long-term photo essay, he wanted to highlight the sense of absence and melancholy women and families feel towards their husbands away at war.

The project then became a book edited by Sarah Leen and the graphics of Ramon Pez.

Picture This: New Orleans by Mary Ellen Mark

The last assignment before her passing, Mary Ellen Mark travelled to New Orleans to register the city after a decade after Hurricane Katrina.

The images of the project “bring to life the rebirth and resilience of the people at the heart of this tale”, – says CNNMoney, commissioner of the work.

Each survivor of the hurricane has a story, and Mary Ellen Mark was there to record it. Some of them have heartbreaking stories about everything they had to leave behind.

Others have a story of hope – like Sam and Ben, two eight-year-olds born from frozen embryos kept in a hospital that lost power supply during the hurricane, yet they managed to survive.

Selfie by Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman is an American photographer whose work is mainly done through self-portraits. With them, she explores the concept of identity, gender stereotypes, as well as visual and cultural codes.

One of her latest photo essays was a collaboration with W Magazine entitled Selfie. In it, the author explores the concept of planned candid photos (‘plandid’).

The work was made for Instagram, as the platform is well known for the conflict between the ‘real self’ and the one people present online. Sherman started using Facetune, Perfect365 and YouCam to alter her appearance on selfies – in Photoshop, you can modify everything, but these apps were designed specifically to “make things prettier”- she says, and that’s what she wants to explore in this photo essay.

Tokyo Compression by Michael Wolf

Michael Wolf has an interest in the broad-gauge topic Life in Cities. From there, many photo essays have been derived – amongst them – Tokyo Compression .

He was horrified by the way people in Tokyo are forced to move to the suburbs because of the high prices of the city. Therefore, they are required to make long commutes facing 1,5 hours of train to start their 8+ hour workday followed by another 1,5 hours to get back home.

To portray this way of life, he photographed the people inside the train pressed against the windows looking exhausted, angry or simply absent due to this way of life.

You can visit his website to see other photo essays that revolve around the topic of life in megacities.

Final Words

It’s not easy to make photo essays, so don’t expect to be great at it right from your first project.

Start off small by choosing a specific subject that’s interesting to you –  that will come from an honest place, and it will be a great practice for some bigger projects along the line.

Whether you like to shoot still life or you’re a travel photographer, I hope these photo essay tips and photo essay examples can help you get started and grow in your photography.

Let us know which topics you are working on right now – we’ll love to hear from you!

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Ana Mireles is a Mexican researcher that specializes in photography and communications for the arts and culture sector.

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Photo Essay

Photo essay generator.

We all know that photographs tell a story. These still images may be seen from various perspectives and are interpreted in different ways. Oftentimes, photographers like to give dramatic meaning to various scenarios. For instance, a blooming flower signifies a new life. Photographs always hold a deeper meaning than what they actually are.

In essay writing , photographs along with its supporting texts, play a significant role in conveying a message. Here are some examples of these kinds of photo-text combinations.

What is Photo Essay? A photo essay is a visual storytelling method that utilizes a sequence of carefully curated photographs to convey a narrative, explore a theme, or evoke specific emotions. It goes beyond individual images, aiming to tell a cohesive and impactful story through the arrangement and combination of pictures.

Photo Essay Format

A photo essay is a series of photographs that are intended to tell a story or evoke a series of emotions in the viewer. It is a powerful way to convey messages without the need for many words. Here is a format to guide you in creating an effective photo essay:

1. Choose a Compelling Topic

Select a subject that you are passionate about or that you find intriguing. Ensure the topic has a clear narrative that can be expressed visually.

2. Plan Your Shots

Outline the story you wish to tell. This could involve a beginning, middle, and end or a thematic approach. Decide on the types of shots you need (e.g., wide shots, close-ups, portraits, action shots) to best tell the story.

3. Take Your Photographs

Capture a variety of images to have a wide selection when editing your essay. Focus on images that convey emotion, tell a story, or highlight your theme.

4. Edit Your Photos

Select the strongest images that best convey your message or story. Edit for consistency in style, color, and lighting to ensure the essay flows smoothly.

5. Arrange Your Photos

Order your images in a way that makes sense narratively or thematically. Consider transitions between photos to ensure they lead the viewer naturally through the story.

6. Include Captions or Text (Optional)

Write captions to provide context, add depth, or explain the significance of each photo. Keep text concise and impactful, letting the images remain the focus.

7. Present Your Photo Essay

Choose a platform for presentation, whether online, in a gallery, or as a printed booklet. Consider the layout and design, ensuring that it complements and enhances the visual narrative.

8. Conclude with Impact

End with a strong image or a conclusion that encapsulates the essence of your essay. Leave the viewer with something to ponder , reflecting on the message or emotions you aimed to convey.

Best Photo Essay Example?

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. 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.

Photo Essay Examples and Ideas to Edit & Download

• A Day in the Life Photo Essay
• Behind the scenes Photo Essay
• Event Photo Essay
• Photo Essay on Meal
• Photo Essay on Photo walking
• Photo Essay on Protest
• Photo Essay on Abandoned building
• Education photo essay
• Photo Essay on Events
• Follow the change Photo Essay
• Photo Essay on Personal experiences

Photo Essay Examples & Templates

1. narrative photo essay format example.

nytimes.com

2. Student Photo Essay Example

3. Great Depression Essay Example

thshistory.files.wordpress.com

4. Example of Photo Essay

weresearchit.co.uk

5. Photo Essay Examples About Nature

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6. Travel Photo Example

theguardian.com

7. Free Photo Essay Example

vasantvalley.org

Most Interesting Photo Essays of 2019

Now that you are educated with the fundamentals of photo essays, why not lay eyes on some great photo essays for inspiration. To give you a glimpse of a few epitomes, we collected the best and fascinating photo essays for you. The handpicked samples are as follows:

8. Toys and Us

journals.openedition.org

This photo essay presents its subject which is the latest genre of photography, toy photography. In this type of picture taking, the photographer aims to give life on the toys and treat them as his/her model. This photography follows the idea of a toy researcher, Katrina Heljakka, who states that also adults and not only children are interested in reimagining and preserving the characters of their toys with the means of roleplay and creating a story about these toys. This photo essay is based on the self-reflection of the author on a friend’s toys in their home environment.

9. The Faces of Nature Example

godandnature.asa3.org

This photo essay and collection caters the creativity of the author’s mind in seeing the world. In her composition, she justified that there are millions of faces that are naturally made that some of us have not noticed. She also presented tons of photos showing different natural objects that form patterns of faces. Though it was not mentioned in the essay itself, the author has unconsciously showcased the psychological phenomenon, pareidolia. This is the tendency to translate an obscure stimulus that let the observer see faces in inanimate objects or abstract patterns, or even hearing concealed messages in music.

10. The Country Doctor Example

us1.campaign-archive.com

This photo essay depicts the medical hardships in a small rural town in Colorado called Kremling. For 23 days, Smith shadowed Dr. Ernest Ceriani, witnessing the dramatic life of the small town and capturing the woeful crisis of the region. The picture in this photographic essay was photographed by Smith himself for Life magazine in 1948 but remained as fascinating as it was posted weeks ago.

11. New York City Coffeehouses

lens.blogs.nytimes.com

Café Latte, cappuccino, espresso, or flat white—of course, you know these if you have visited a coffee shop at least once. However, the photographer of this photo essay took it to a whole new level of experience. Within two to three days of visiting various coffee places, Mr. Gavrysh stayed most of his day observing at the finest details such as the source of the coffee, the procedure of delivering them, and the process of roasting and grounding them. He also watched how did the baristas perfect the drinks and the reaction of the customers as they received their ordered coffee with delights in their faces. Gavrysh did not mean to compose a coffeehouse guide, but to make a composition that describes modern, local places where coffee is sipped and treated with respect.

12. Hungry Planet: What The World Eats

13. Photo Essay Example

cah.utexas.edu

14. Photo Essay in PDF

condor.depaul.edu

15. Sample Photo Essay Example

colorado.edu

16. Basic Photo Essay Example

adaptation-undp.org

17. Printable Photo Essay Example

One of the basic necessity of a person to live according to his/her will is food. In this photo essay, you will see how these necessities vary in several ways. In 2005, a pair of Peter Menzel and Faith D’ Aluisio released a book that showcased the meals of an average family in 24 countries. Ecuador, south-central Mali, China, Mexico, Kuwait, Norway, and Greenland are among the nations they visited.  This photo essay is written to raise awareness about the influence of environment and culture to the cost and calories of the foods laid on the various dining tables across the globe.

Photo essays are not just about photographic aesthetics but also the stories that authors built behind those pictures. In this collection of captivating photo essays, reflect on how to write your own. If you are allured and still can’t get enough, there’s no need for you to be frantic about. Besides, there are thousands of samples and templates on our website to browse. Visit us to check them all out.

What are good topics for a photo essay?

• Urban Exploration: Document the unique architecture, street life, and cultural diversity of urban environments.
• Environmental Conservation: Capture the beauty of natural landscapes or document environmental issues, showcasing the impact of climate change or conservation efforts.
• Everyday Life in Your Community: Showcase the daily lives, traditions, and activities of people in your local community.
• Family Traditions: Document the customs, rituals, and special moments within your own family or another family.
• Youth Culture: Explore the lifestyle, challenges, and aspirations of young people in your community or around the world.
• Behind-the-Scenes at an Event: Provide a backstage look at the preparation and execution of an event, such as a concert, festival, or sports competition.
• A Day in the Life of a Profession: Follow a professional in their daily activities, offering insights into their work, challenges, and routines.
• Social Issues: Address important social issues like homelessness, poverty, immigration, or healthcare, raising awareness through visual storytelling.
• Cultural Celebrations: Document cultural festivals, ceremonies, or celebrations that showcase the diversity of traditions in your region or beyond.
• Education Around the World: Explore the various facets of education globally, from classrooms to the challenges students face in different cultures.
• Workplace Dynamics: Capture the atmosphere, interactions, and diversity within different workplaces or industries.
• Street Art and Graffiti: Document the vibrant and dynamic world of street art, capturing the expressions of local artists.
• Animal Rescues or Shelters: Focus on the efforts of organizations or individuals dedicated to rescuing and caring for animals.
• Migration Stories: Explore the experiences and challenges of individuals or communities affected by migration.
• Global Food Culture: Document the diversity of food cultures, from local markets to family meals, showcasing the role of food in different societies.

How to Write a Photo Essay

First of all, you would need to find a topic that you are interested in. With this, you can conduct thorough research on the topic that goes beyond what is common. This would mean that it would be necessary to look for facts that not a lot of people know about. Not only will this make your essay interesting, but this may also help you capture the necessary elements for your images.

Remember, the ability to manipulate the emotions of your audience will allow you to build a strong connection with them. Knowing this, you need to plan out your shots. With the different emotions and concepts in mind, your images should tell a story along with the essay outline .

1. Choose Your Topic

• Select a compelling subject that interests you and can be explored visually.
• Consider the story or message you want to convey. It should be something that can be expressed through images.

2. Plan Your Essay

• Outline your narrative. Decide if your photo essay will tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end, or if it will explore a theme or concept.
• Research your subject if necessary, especially if you’re covering a complex or unfamiliar topic.

3. Capture Your Images

• Take a variety of photos. Include wide shots to establish the setting, close-ups to show details, and medium shots to focus on subjects.
• Consider different angles and perspectives to add depth and interest to your essay.
• Shoot more than you need. Having a large selection of images to choose from will make the editing process easier.

4. Select Your Images

• Choose photos that best tell your story or convey your theme.
• Look for images that evoke emotion or provoke thought.
• Ensure there’s a mix of compositions to keep the viewer engaged.
• Sequence your images in a way that makes narrative or thematic sense.
• Consider the flow and how each image transitions to the next.
• Use juxtaposition to highlight contrasts or similarities.

6. Add Captions or Text (Optional)

• Write captions to provide context or additional information about each photo. Keep them brief and impactful.
• Consider including an introduction or conclusion to frame your essay. This can be helpful in setting the stage or offering a final reflection.

7. Edit and Refine

• Review the sequence of your photos. Make sure they flow smoothly and clearly convey your intended story or theme.
• Adjust the layout as needed, ensuring that the visual arrangement is aesthetically pleasing and supports the narrative.

8. Share Your Essay

• Choose the right platform for your photo essay, whether it’s a blog, online publication, exhibition, or print.
• Consider your audience and tailor the presentation of your essay to suit their preferences and expectations.

Types of Photo Essay

Photo essays are a compelling medium to tell a story, convey emotions, or present a perspective through a series of photographs. Understanding the different types of photo essays can help photographers and storytellers choose the best approach for their project. Here are the main types of photo essays:

1. Narrative Photo Essays

• Purpose: To tell a story or narrate an event in a chronological sequence.
• Characteristics: Follows a clear storyline with a beginning, middle, and end. It often includes characters, a setting, and a plot.
• Examples: A day in the life of a firefighter, the process of crafting traditional pottery.

2. Thematic Photo Essays

• Purpose: To explore a specific theme, concept, or issue without being bound to a chronological sequence.
• Characteristics: Centers around a unified theme, with each photo contributing to the overall concept.
• Examples: The impact of urbanization on the environment, the beauty of natural landscapes.

3. Conceptual Photo Essays

• Purpose: To convey an idea or evoke a series of emotions through abstract or metaphorical images.
• Characteristics: Focuses on delivering a conceptual message or emotional response, often using symbolism.
• Examples: Loneliness in the digital age, the concept of freedom.

4. Expository or Informative Photo Essays

• Purpose: To inform or educate the viewer about a subject with a neutral viewpoint.
• Characteristics: Presents factual information on a topic, often accompanied by captions or brief texts to provide context.
• Examples: The process of coffee production, a day at an animal rescue center.

5. Persuasive Photo Essays

• Purpose: To convince the viewer of a particular viewpoint or to highlight social issues.
• Characteristics: Designed to persuade or elicit action, these essays may focus on social, environmental, or political issues.
• Examples: The effects of plastic pollution, the importance of historical preservation.

6. Personal Photo Essays

• Purpose: To express the photographer’s personal experiences, emotions, or journeys.
• Characteristics: Highly subjective and personal, often reflecting the photographer’s intimate feelings or experiences.
• Examples: A personal journey through grief, documenting one’s own home during quarantine.

7. Environmental Photo Essays

• Purpose: To showcase landscapes, wildlife, and environmental issues.
• Characteristics: Focuses on the natural world or environmental challenges, aiming to raise awareness or appreciation.
• Examples: The melting ice caps, wildlife in urban settings.

8. Travel Photo Essays

• Purpose: To explore and present the culture, landscapes, people, and experiences of different places.
• Characteristics: Captures the essence of a location, showcasing its uniqueness and the experiences of traveling.
• Examples: A road trip across the American Southwest, the vibrant streets of a bustling city.

How do you start a picture essay?

1. choose a compelling theme or topic:.

Select a theme or topic that resonates with you and has visual storytelling potential. It could be a personal project, an exploration of a social issue, or a visual journey through a specific place or event.

2. Research and Conceptualize:

Conduct research on your chosen theme to understand its nuances, context, and potential visual elements. Develop a conceptual framework for your photo essay, outlining the key aspects you want to capture.

3. Define Your Storytelling Approach:

Determine how you want to convey your narrative. Consider whether your photo essay will follow a chronological sequence, a thematic structure, or a more abstract and conceptual approach.

4. Create a Shot List:

Develop a list of specific shots you want to include in your essay. This can help guide your photography and ensure you capture a diverse range of images that contribute to your overall narrative.

5. Plan the Introduction:

Think about how you want to introduce your photo essay. The first image or series of images should grab the viewer’s attention and set the tone for the narrative.

6. Consider the Flow:

Plan the flow of your photo essay, ensuring a logical progression of images that tells a cohesive and engaging story. Consider the emotional impact and visual variety as you sequence your photographs.

7. Shoot with Purpose:

Start capturing images with your conceptual framework in mind. Focus on images that align with your theme and contribute to the overall narrative. Look for moments that convey emotion, tell a story, or reveal aspects of your chosen subject.

8. Experiment with Perspectives and Techniques:

Explore different perspectives, compositions, and photographic techniques to add visual interest and depth to your essay. Consider using a variety of shots, including wide-angle, close-ups, and detail shots.

9. Write Descriptive Captions:

As you capture images, think about the accompanying captions. Captions should provide context, additional information, or insights that enhance the viewer’s understanding of each photograph.

What are the key elements of a photo essay?

1. Theme or Topic:

Clearly defined subject matter or theme that unifies the photographs and tells a cohesive story.

2. Narrative Structure:

An intentional narrative structure that guides the viewer through the photo essay, whether chronological, thematic, or conceptual.

3. Introduction:

A strong introduction that captures the viewer’s attention and sets the tone for the photo essay.

4. Captivating Images:

A series of high-quality and visually compelling images that effectively convey the chosen theme or story.

5. Variety of Shots:

A variety of shots, including wide-angle, close-ups, detail shots, and different perspectives, to add visual interest and depth.

6. Sequencing:

Careful sequencing of images to create a logical flow and emotional impact, guiding the viewer through the narrative.

7. Captions and Text:

Thoughtful captions or accompanying text that provide context, additional information, or insights, enhancing the viewer’s understanding.

8. Conclusion:

A concluding section that brings the photo essay to a satisfying close, leaving a lasting impression on the viewer.

Purpose of a Photo Essay

With good writing skills , a person is able to tell a story through words. However, adding images for your essay will give it the dramatic effect it needs. The photographs and the text work hand in hand to create something compelling enough to attract an audience.

This connection goes beyond something visual, as photo essays are also able to connect with an audience emotionally. This is to create an essay that is effective enough to relay a given message.

5 Tips for Creating a Photo Essay

• Don’t be afraid to experiment. Find the right angle and be dramatic with your description, just be creative.
• Pay attention to detail. Chances are, your audience will notice every single detail of your photograph.
• Shoot everything. Behind a single beautiful photo is a hundred more shots.
• Don’t think twice about editing. Editing is where the magic happens. It has the ability to add more drama to your images.
• Have fun. Don’t stress yourself out too much but instead, grow from your experience.

What is a photo essay for school?

A school photo essay is a visual storytelling project for educational purposes, typically assigned to students. It involves creating a narrative using a series of carefully curated photographs on a chosen theme.

How many pictures should be in a photo essay?

The number of pictures in a photo essay varies based on the chosen theme and narrative structure. It can range from a few impactful images to a more extensive series, typically around 10-20 photographs.

Is a photo essay a story?

Yes, a photo essay is a visual storytelling form. It uses a series of carefully curated photographs to convey a narrative, evoke emotions, or communicate a specific message or theme.

What makes a photo essay unforgettable?

An unforgettable photo essay is characterized by a powerful theme, emotionally resonant images, a well-crafted narrative structure, attention to detail, and a connection that leaves a lasting impact on viewers.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Create a Photo Essay on the theme of urban exploration.

Discuss the story of a local community event through a Photo Essay.

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What is a Photo Essay? 9 Photo Essay Examples You Can Recreate

A photo essay is a series of photographs that tell a story. Unlike a written essay, a photo essay focuses on visuals instead of words. With a photo essay, you can stretch your creative limits and explore new ways to connect with your audience. Whatever your photography skill level, you can recreate your own fun and creative photo essay.

9 Photo Essay Examples You Can Recreate

• Photowalk Photo Essay
• Transformation Photo Essay
• Day in the Life Photo Essay
• Event Photo Essay
• Building Photo Essay
• Historic Site or Landmark Photo Essay
• Behind the Scenes Photo Essay
• Family Photo Essay
• Education Photo Essay

Stories are important to all of us. While some people gravitate to written stories, others are much more attuned to visual imagery. With a photo essay, you can tell a story without writing a word. Your use of composition, contrast, color, and perspective in photography will convey ideas and evoke emotions.

To explore narrative photography, you can use basic photographic equipment. You can buy a camera or even use your smartphone to get started. While lighting, lenses, and post-processing software can enhance your photos, they aren’t necessary to achieve good results.

Whether you need to complete a photo essay assignment or want to pursue one for fun or professional purposes, you can use these photo essay ideas for your photography inspiration . Once you know the answer to “what is a photo essay?” and find out how fun it is to create one, you’ll likely be motivated to continue your forays into photographic storytelling.

1 . Photowalk Photo Essay

One popular photo essay example is a photowalk. Simply put, a photowalk is time you set aside to walk around a city, town, or a natural site and take photos. Some cities even have photowalk tours led by professional photographers. On these tours, you can learn the basics about how to operate your camera, practice photography composition techniques, and understand how to look for unique shots that help tell your story.

Set aside at least two to three hours for your photowalk. Even if you’re photographing a familiar place—like your own home town—try to look at it through new eyes. Imagine yourself as a first-time visitor or pretend you’re trying to educate a tourist about the area.

Walk around slowly and look for different ways to capture the mood and energy of your location. If you’re in a city, capture wide shots of streets, close-ups of interesting features on buildings, street signs, and candid shots of people. Look for small details that give the city character and life. And try some new concepts—like reflection picture ideas—by looking for opportunities to photographs reflections in mirrored buildings, puddles, fountains, or bodies of water.

2 . Transformation Photo Essay

With a transformation photography essay, you can tell the story about change over time. One of the most popular photostory examples, a transformation essay can document a mom-to-be’s pregnancy or a child’s growth from infancy into the toddler years. But people don’t need to be the focus of a transformation essay. You can take photos of a house that is being built or an urban area undergoing revitalization.

You can also create a photo narrative to document a short-term change. Maybe you want to capture images of your growing garden or your move from one home to another. These examples of photo essays are powerful ways of telling the story of life’s changes—both large and small.

3 . Day in the Life Photo Essay

Want a unique way to tell a person’s story? Or, perhaps you want to introduce people to a career or activity. You may want to consider a day in the life essay.

With this photostory example, your narrative focuses on a specific subject for an entire day. For example, if you are photographing a farmer, you’ll want to arrive early in the morning and shadow the farmer as he or she performs daily tasks. Capture a mix of candid shots of the farmer at work and add landscapes and still life of equipment for added context. And if you are at a farm, don’t forget to get a few shots of the animals for added character, charm, or even a dose of humor. These types of photography essay examples are great practice if you are considering pursuing photojournalism. They also help you learn and improve your candid portrait skills.

4 . Event Photo Essay

Events are happening in your local area all the time, and they can make great photo essays. With a little research, you can quickly find many events that you could photograph. There may be bake sales, fundraisers, concerts, art shows, farm markets, block parties, and other non profit event ideas . You could also focus on a personal event, such as a birthday or graduation.

At most events, your primary emphasis will be on capturing candid photos of people in action. You can also capture backgrounds or objects to set the scene. For example, at a birthday party, you’ll want to take photos of the cake and presents.

For a local or community event, you can share your photos with the event organizer. Or, you may be able to post them on social media and tag the event sponsor. This is a great way to gain recognition and build your reputation as a talented photographer.

5. Building Photo Essay

Many buildings can be a compelling subject for a photographic essay. Always make sure that you have permission to enter and photograph the building. Once you do, look for interesting shots and angles that convey the personality, purpose, and history of the building. You may also be able to photograph the comings and goings of people that visit or work in the building during the day.

Some photographers love to explore and photograph abandoned buildings. With these types of photos, you can provide a window into the past. Definitely make sure you gain permission before entering an abandoned building and take caution since some can have unsafe elements and structures.

6. Historic Site or Landmark Photo Essay

Taking a series of photos of a historic site or landmark can be a great experience. You can learn to capture the same site from different angles to help portray its character and tell its story. And you can also photograph how people visit and engage with the site or landmark. Take photos at different times of day and in varied lighting to capture all its nuances and moods.

You can also use your photographic essay to help your audience understand the history of your chosen location. For example, if you want to provide perspective on the Civil War, a visit to a battleground can be meaningful. You can also visit a site when reenactors are present to share insight on how life used to be in days gone by.

7 . Behind the Scenes Photo Essay

Another fun essay idea is taking photos “behind the scenes” at an event. Maybe you can chronicle all the work that goes into a holiday festival from the early morning set-up to the late-night teardown. Think of the lead event planner as the main character of your story and build the story about him or her.

Or, you can go backstage at a drama production. Capture photos of actors and actresses as they transform their looks with costuming and makeup. Show the lead nervously pacing in the wings before taking center stage. Focus the work of stagehands, lighting designers, and makeup artists who never see the spotlight but bring a vital role in bringing the play to life.

8. Family Photo Essay

If you enjoy photographing people, why not explore photo story ideas about families and relationships? You can focus on interactions between two family members—such as a father and a daughter—or convey a message about a family as a whole.

Sometimes these type of photo essays can be all about the fun and joy of living in a close-knit family. But sometimes they can be powerful portraits of challenging social topics. Images of a family from another country can be a meaningful photo essay on immigration. You could also create a photo essay on depression by capturing families who are coping with one member’s illness.

For these projects on difficult topics, you may want to compose a photo essay with captions. These captions can feature quotes from family members or document your own observations. Although approaching hard topics isn’t easy, these types of photos can have lasting impact and value.

9. Education Photo Essay

Opportunities for education photo essays are everywhere—from small preschools to community colleges and universities. You can seek permission to take photos at public or private schools or even focus on alternative educational paths, like homeschooling.

Your education photo essay can take many forms. For example, you can design a photo essay of an experienced teacher at a high school. Take photos of him or her in action in the classroom, show quiet moments grading papers, and capture a shared laugh between colleagues in the teacher’s lounge.

Alternatively, you can focus on a specific subject—such as science and technology. Or aim to portray a specific grade level, document activities club or sport, or portray the social environment. A photo essay on food choices in the cafeteria can be thought-provoking or even funny. There are many potential directions to pursue and many great essay examples.

While education is an excellent topic for a photo essay for students, education can be a great source of inspiration for any photographer.

Why Should You Create a Photo Essay?

Ultimately, photographers are storytellers. Think of what a photographer does during a typical photo shoot. He or she will take a series of photos that helps convey the essence of the subject—whether that is a person, location, or inanimate object. For example, a family portrait session tells the story of a family—who they are, their personalities, and the closeness of their relationship.

Learning how to make a photo essay can help you become a better storyteller—and a better photographer. You’ll cultivate key photography skills that you can carry with you no matter where your photography journey leads.

If you simply want to document life’s moments on social media, you may find that a single picture doesn’t always tell the full story. Reviewing photo essay examples and experimenting with your own essay ideas can help you choose meaningful collections of photos to share with friends and family online.

Learning how to create photo essays can also help you work towards professional photography ambitions. You’ll often find that bloggers tell photographic stories. For example, think of cooking blogs that show you each step in making a recipe. Photo essays are also a mainstay of journalism. You’ll often find photo essays examples in many media outlets—everywhere from national magazines to local community newspapers. And the best travel photographers on Instagram tell great stories with their photos, too.

With a photo essay, you can explore many moods and emotions. Some of the best photo essays tell serious stories, but some are humorous, and others aim to evoke action.

You can raise awareness with a photo essay on racism or a photo essay on poverty. A photo essay on bullying can help change the social climate for students at a school. Or, you can document a fun day at the beach or an amusement park. You have control of the themes, photographic elements, and the story you want to tell.

5 Steps to Create a Photo Essay

Every photo essay will be different, but you can use a standard process. Following these five steps will guide you through every phase of your photo essay project—from brainstorming creative essay topics to creating a photo essay to share with others.

Step 1: Choose Your Photo Essay Topics

Just about any topic you can imagine can form the foundation for a photo essay. You may choose to focus on a specific event, such as a wedding, performance, or festival. Or you may want to cover a topic over a set span of time, such as documenting a child’s first year. You could also focus on a city or natural area across the seasons to tell a story of changing activities or landscapes.

Since the best photo essays convey meaning and emotion, choose a topic of interest. Your passion for the subject matter will shine through each photograph and touch your viewer’s hearts and minds.

Step 2: Conduct Upfront Research

Much of the work in a good-quality photo essay begins before you take your first photo. It’s always a good idea to do some research on your planned topic.

Imagine you’re going to take photos of a downtown area throughout the year. You should spend some time learning the history of the area. Talk with local residents and business owners and find out about planned events. With these insights, you’ll be able to plan ahead and be prepared to take photos that reflect the area’s unique personality and lifestyles.

For any topic you choose, gather information first. This may involve internet searches, library research, interviews, or spending time observing your subject.

Step 3: Storyboard Your Ideas

After you have done some research and have a good sense of the story you want to tell, you can create a storyboard. With a storyboard, you can write or sketch out the ideal pictures you want to capture to convey your message.

You can turn your storyboard into a “shot list” that you can bring with you on site. A shot list can be especially helpful when you are at a one-time event and want to capture specific shots for your photo essay. If you’ve never created a photo essay before, start with ten shot ideas. Think of each shot as a sentence in your story. And aim to make each shot evoke specific ideas or emotions.

Step 4: Capture Images

Your storyboard and shot list will be important guides to help you make the most of each shoot. Be sure to set aside enough time to capture all the shots you need—especially if you are photographing a one-time event. And allow yourself to explore your ideas using different photography composition, perspective, and color contrast techniques.

You may need to take a hundred images or more to get ten perfect ones for your photographic essay. Or, you may find that you want to add more photos to your story and expand your picture essay concept.

Also, remember to look for special unplanned, moments that help tell your story. Sometimes, spontaneous photos that aren’t on your shot list can be full of meaning. A mix of planning and flexibility almost always yields the best results.

Step 5: Edit and Organize Photos to Tell Your Story

After capturing your images, you can work on compiling your photo story. To create your photo essay, you will need to make decisions about which images portray your themes and messages. At times, this can mean setting aside beautiful images that aren’t a perfect fit. You can use your shot list and storyboard as a guide but be open to including photos that weren’t in your original plans.

You may want to use photo editing software—such as Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop— to enhance and change photographs. With these tools, you can adjust lighting and white balance, perform color corrections, crop, or perform other edits. If you have a signature photo editing style, you may want to use Photoshop Actions or Lightroom Presets to give all your photos a consistent look and feel.

You order a photo book from one of the best photo printing websites to publish your photo story. You can add them to an album on a photo sharing site, such as Flickr or Google Photos. Also, you could focus on building a website dedicated to documenting your concepts through visual photo essays. If so, you may want to use SEO for photographers to improve your website’s ranking in search engine results. You could even publish your photo essay on social media. Another thing to consider is whether you want to include text captures or simply tell your story through photographs.

Choose the medium that feels like the best space to share your photo essay ideas and vision with your audiences. You should think of your photo essay as your own personal form of art and expression when deciding where and how to publish it.

Photo Essays Can Help You Become a Better Photographer

Whatever your photography ambitions may be, learning to take a photo essay can help you grow. Even simple essay topics can help you gain skills and stretch your photographic limits. With a photo essay, you start to think about how a series of photographs work together to tell a complete story. You’ll consider how different shots work together, explore options for perspective and composition, and change the way you look at the world.

Before you start taking photos, you should review photo essay examples. You can find interesting pictures to analyze and photo story examples online, in books, or in classic publications, like Life Magazine . Don’t forget to look at news websites for photojournalism examples to broaden your perspective. This review process will help you in brainstorming simple essay topics for your first photo story and give you ideas for the future as well.

Ideas and inspiration for photo essay topics are everywhere. You can visit a park or go out into your own backyard to pursue a photo essay on nature. Or, you can focus on the day in the life of someone you admire with a photo essay of a teacher, fireman, or community leader. Buildings, events, families, and landmarks are all great subjects for concept essay topics. If you are feeling stuck coming up with ideas for essays, just set aside a few hours to walk around your city or town and take photos. This type of photowalk can be a great source of material.

You’ll soon find that advanced planning is critical to your success. Brainstorming topics, conducting research, creating a storyboard, and outlining a shot list can help ensure you capture the photos you need to tell your story. After you’ve finished shooting, you’ll need to decide where to house your photo essay. You may need to come up with photo album title ideas, write captions, and choose the best medium and layout.

Without question, creating a photo essay can be a valuable experience for any photographer. That’s true whether you’re an amateur completing a high school assignment or a pro looking to hone new skills. You can start small with an essay on a subject you know well and then move into conquering difficult ideas. Maybe you’ll want to create a photo essay on mental illness or a photo essay on climate change. Or maybe there’s another cause that is close to your heart.

Whatever your passion, you can bring it to life with a photo essay.

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How to Create a Photo Essay in 9 Steps (with Examples)

Photo Editing & Creativity , Tutorials

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What is a photo essay?

• Photo essays vs photo stories
• How photo essays help you
• 9 Steps to create photo essays

How to share your photo essays

Read Time: 11 minutes

Gather up a handful of images that seem to go together, and voila! It’s a photo essay, right? Well… no. Though, this is a common misconception.

In reality, a photo essay is much more thoughtful and structured than that. When you take the time to craft one, you’re using skills from all facets of our craft – from composition to curation.

In this guide, you’ll learn what makes a photo essay an amazing project that stretches your skills. You’ll also learn exactly how to make one step by step.

• Photo essay vs photo story

A photo essay is a collection of images based around a theme, a topic, a creative approach, or an exploration of an idea. Photo essays balance visual variety with a cohesive style and concept.

What’s the difference between a photo essay and a photo story?

The terms photo essay and photo story are often used interchangeably. Even the dictionary definition of “photo essay” includes using images to convey either a theme or a story.

But in my experience, a photo essay and a photo story are two different things. As you delve into the field of visual storytelling, distinguishing between the two helps you to take a purposeful approach to what you’re making .

The differences ultimately lie in the distinctions between theme, topic and story.

Themes are big-picture concepts. Example: Wildness

Topics are more specific than themes, but still overarching. Example : Wild bears of Yellowstone National Park

Stories are specific instances or experiences that happen within, or provide an example for, a topic or theme. Example: A certain wild bear became habituated to tourists and was relocated to maintain its wildness

Unlike a theme or topic, a story has particular elements that make it a story. They include leading characters, a setting, a narrative arc, conflict, and (usually) resolution.

With that in mind, we can distingush between a photo essay and a photo story.

Themes and Topics vs Stories

A photo essay revolves around a topic, theme, idea, or concept. It visually explores a big-picture something .

This allows a good deal of artistic leeway where a photographer can express their vision, philosophies, opinions, or artistic expression as they create their images.

A photo story  is a portfolio of images that illustrate – you guessed it – a story.

Because of this, there are distinct types of images that a photo story uses that add to the understanding, insight, clarity and meaning to the story for viewers. While they can certainly be artistically crafted and visually stunning, photo stories document something happening, and rely on visual variety for capturing the full experience.

A photo essay doesn’t need to have the same level of structured variety that a photo story requires. It can have images that overlap or are similar, as they each explore various aspects of a theme.

Photo essays can be about any topic. If you live in a city, consider using your nature photography to make an essay about the wildlife that lives in your neighborhood . 

The role of text with photos

A photo story typically runs alongside text that narrates the story. We’re a visual species, and the images help us feel like we are there, experiencing what’s happening. So, the images add significant power to the text, but they’re often a partner to it.

This isn’t always the case, of course. Sometimes photo stories don’t need or use text. It’s like reading a graphic novel that doesn’t use text. Moving through the different images that build on each other ultimately unveils the narrative.

Photo essays don’t need to rely on text to illuminate the images’ theme or topic. The photographer may use captions (or even a text essay), or they may let the images speak for themselves.

Definitions are helpful guidelines (not strict rules)

Some people categorize photo essays as either narrative or thematic. That’s essentially just calling photo stories “narrative photo essays” and photo essays “thematic photo essays.”

But, a story is a defined thing, and any writer/editor will tell you themes and topics are not the same as stories. And we use the word “story” in our daily lives as it’s defined. So, it makes far more sense to name the difference between a photo essay and a photo story, and bask in the same clarity writers enjoy .

Photo stories illustrate a particular experience, event, narrative, something that happened or is happening.

Photo essays explore an idea, concept, topic, theme, creative approach, big-picture something .

Both photo essays and photo stories are immensely powerful visual tools. And yes, the differences between them can certainly be blurred, as is always the case with art.

Simply use this distinction as a general guideline, providing extra clarity around what you’re making and why you’re making it.

To dig into specific types of images used to create powerful photo stories, check out this training: 6 Must-Have Shots for a Photo Story. 

Meanwhile, let’s dig deeper into photo essays.

Capturing amazing wildlife photos requires not only passion and skill but also the right equipment.

This guide breaks down the best options so you can find the perfect camera for your specific needs , whether you're a beginner or pro.

Photo essays are a chance to try new styles or techniques that stretch your skills and creativity. This image was part of an essay exploring simplicity and shape, and helped me learn new skills in black and white post-processing.

How photo essays improve your photography

Creating photo essays is an amazing antidote if you’ve ever felt a lack of direction or purpose in your photography. Photo essays help build your photographic skills in at least 3 important ways.

1. You become more strategic in creating a body of work

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut of photographing whatever pops up in front of you. And when you do, you end up with a collection of stand-alone shots.

These singles may work fine as a print, a quick Instagram post, or an addition to your gallery of shots on your website. But amassing a bunch of one-off shots limits your opportunities as a photographer for everything from exhibits to getting your work published.

Building photo essays pushes you to think strategically about what you photograph, why, and how. You’re working toward a particular deliverable – a cohesive visual essay – with the images you create.

This elevates your skills in crafting your photo essay, and in how you curate the rest of your work, from galleries on your website to selecting images to sell as prints .

2. You become more purposeful in your composition skills

Composition is so much more than just following the rule of thirds, golden spirals, or thinking about the angle of light in a shot.

Composition is also about thinking ahead in what you’re trying to accomplish with a photograph – from what you’re saying through it to its emotional impact on a viewer – and where it fits within a larger body of work.

Photo essays push you to think critically about each shot – from coming up with fresh compositions for familiar subjects, to devising surprising compositions to fit within a collection, to creating compositions that expand on what’s already in a photo essay.

You’re pushed beyond creating a single pleasing frame, which leads you to shoot more thoughtfully and proactively than ever.

(Here’s a podcast episode on switching from reactive shooting to proactive shooting .)

3. You develop strong editing and curation skills

Selecting which images stay, and which get left behind is one of the hardest jobs on a photographer’s to-do list. Mostly, it’s because of emotional attachment.

You might think it’s an amazing shot because you know the effort that went into capturing it. Or perhaps when you look at it, you get a twinge of the joy or exhilaration you felt the moment you captured it. There’s also the second-guessing that goes into which of two similar images is the best – which will people like more? So you’re tempted to just show both.

Ultimately, great photographers appear all the more skilled because they only show their best work. That in and of itself is a skill they’ve developed through years of ruthlessly editing their own work.

Because the most powerful photo essays only show a handful of extraordinary images, you’re bound to develop the very same critical skill (and look all the more talented because of it).

Photo essays are also a great stepping stone to creating photo stories. If you’re interested in moving beyond stand-alone shots and building stories, shooting photo essays will get your creative brain limbered up and ready for the adventure of photo stories.

A photo essay exploring the natural history of a favorite species is an exciting opportunity for an in-depth study. For me, that was a photo essay on emotive images of the American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) as it hunts in streams. 

9 Simple steps to create your photo essays

1. clarify your theme.

Choose a theme, topic, or concept you want to explore. Spend some time getting crystal clear on what you want to focus on. It helps to write out a few sentences, or even a few paragraphs noting:

• What you want the essay to be about
• What kinds of images you want to create as part of it
• How you’ll photograph the images
• The style, techniques, or gear you might use to create your images
• What “success” looks like when you’re done with your photo essay

You don’t have to stick to what you write down, of course. It can change during the image creation process. But fleshing your idea out on paper goes a long way in clarifying your photo essay theme and how you’ll go about creating it.

2. Create your images

Grab your camera and head outside!

As you’re photographing your essay, allow yourself some freedom to experiment. Try unusual compositions or techniques that are new to you.

Stretch your style a little, or “try on” the style of other photographers you admire who have photographed similar subjects.

Photo essays are wonderful opportunities to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and grow as a photographer .

Remember that a photo essay is a visually cohesive collection of images that make sense together. So, while you might stretch yourself into new terrain as you shoot, try to keep that approach, style, or strategy consistent.

Don’t be afraid to create lots of images. It’s great to have lots to choose from in the editing process, which comes up next.

3. Pull together your wide edit

Once you’ve created your images, pull together all the images that might make the cut. This could be as many as 40-60 images. Include anything you want to consider for the final essay in the wide edit.

From here, start weeding out images that:

• are weaker in composition or subject matter
• stand out like a sore thumb from the rest of the collection
• Are similar to other stronger images in the collection

It’s helpful to review the images at thumbnail size. You make more instinctive decisions and can more easily see the body of work as a whole. If an image is strong even at thumbnail size to stand out from similar frames while also partnering well with other images in the collection, that’s a good sign it’s strong enough for the essay.

4. Post-process your images for a cohesive look

Now it’s time to post-process the images. Use whatever editing software you’re comfortable with to polish your images.

Again, a photo essay has a cohesive visual look. If you use presets, filters, or other tools, use them across all the images.

5. Finalize your selection

It’s time to make the tough decisions. Select only the strongest for your photo essay from your group of images.

Each image should be strong enough to stand on its own and make sense as part of the whole group.

Many photo essays range from 8-12 images. But of course, it varies based on the essay. The number of images you have in your final photo essay is up to you.

Remember, less is more. A photo essay is most powerful when each image deserves to be included.

6. Put your images in a purposeful order

Create a visual flow with your images. Decide which image is first, and build from there. Use compositions, colors, and subject matter to decide which image goes next, then next, then next in the order.

Think of it like music: notes are arranged in a way that builds energy, or slows it down, surprise listeners with a new refrain, or drop into a familiar chorus. How the notes are ordered creates emotional arcs for listeners.

How you order your images is similar.

Think of the experience a viewer will have as they look at one image, then the next, and the next. Order your images so they create the experience you want your audience to have.

7. Get feedback

The best photographers make space for feedback, even when it’s tough to hear. Your work benefits from not just hearing feedback, but listening to it and applying what you learn from it.

Show your photo essay to people who have different sensibilities or tastes. Friends, family members, fellow photographers – anyone you trust to give you honest feedback.

Watch their reactions and hear what they say about what they’re seeing. Use their feedback to guide you in the next step.

8. Refine, revise, and finalize

Let your photo essay marinate for a little while. Take a day or two away from it. Then use your freshened eyes and the feedback you received from the previous step to refine your essay.

Swap out any selects you might want to change and reorder the images if needed.

9. Add captions

Even if you don’t plan on displaying captions with your images, captioning your images is a great practice to get into. It gives context, story, and important information to each image. And, more than likely, you will want to use these captions at some point when you share your photo essay, which we dive into later in this article.

Add captions to the image files using Lightroom, Bridge, or other software programs.

Create a document, such as a Google or Word doc, with captions for each image.

In your captions, share a bit about the story behind the image, or the creation process. Add whatever makes sense to share that provides a greater understanding of the image and its purpose.

Photo essays allow you to explore deliberate style choices, such as a focus on shapes, patterns, textures, and lines. Since each photo is part of a larger essay, it encourages you to be bold with choices you might not otherwise make. 

5 Examples of amazing nature photo essays

1. “how the water shapes us” from the nature conservancy.

This gorgeous essay, crafted with the work of multiple photographers, explores the people and places within the Mississippi River basin. Through the images, we gain a sense of how the water influences life from the headwater all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Notice how each photographer is tasked with the same theme, yet approaches it with their own distinct style and vision. It is a wonderful example of the sheer level of visual variety you can have while maintaining a consistent style or theme.

View it here

2. “A Cyclist on the English Landscape” from New York Times’ The World Through A Lens series

This photo essay is a series of self-portraits by travel photographer Roff Smith while “stuck” at home during the pandemic. As he peddled the roads making portraits, the project evolved into a “celebration of traveling at home”. It’s a great example of how visually consistent you can be inside a theme while making each image completely unique.

3. “Vermont, Dressed In Snow” from New York Times’ The World Through A Lens series

This essay by aerial photographer Caleb Kenna uses a very common photo essay theme: snow. Because all images are aerial photographs, there’s a consistency to them. Yet, the compositions are utterly unique from one another. It’s a great example of keeping viewers surprised as they move from one image to the next while still maintaining a clear focus on the theme.

4. “Starling-Studded Skies” from bioGraphic Magazine

This beautiful essay is by Kathryn Cooper, a physicist trained in bioinformatics, and a talented photographer. She used a 19th century photographic technique, chronophotography, to create images that give us a look at the art and science of starling murmurations. She states: “I’m interested in the transient moments when chaos briefly changes to order, and thousands of individual bodies appear to move as one.” This essay is a great example of deep exploration of a concept using a specific photographic technique.

View it here   (Note: must be viewed on desktop)

5. “These Scrappy Photos Capture the Action-Packed World Beneath a Bird Feeder” from Audubon Magazine

This photo essay from conservation photographer Carla Rhodes explores the wildlife that takes advantage of the bounty of food waiting under bird feeders . Using remote camera photography , Rhodes gives viewers a unique ground-level perspective and captures moments that make us feel like we’re in conversation with friends in the Hundred Acre Woods. This essay is a great example of how perspective, personality, and chance can all come into play as you explore both an idea and a technique.

25 Ideas for creative photo essays you can make

The possibilities for photo essays are truly endless – from the concepts you explore to the techniques you use and styles you apply.

Choose an idea, hone your unique perspective on it, then start applying the 9 simple steps from above. 

• The life of a plant or animal (your favorite species, a species living in your yard, etc)
• The many shapes of a single species (a tree species, a bird species, etc)
• How a place changes over time
• The various moods of a place
• A conservation issue you care about
• Math in nature
• Urban nature
• Seasonal changes
• Your yard as a space for nature
• Shifting climate and its impacts
• Human impacts on environments
• Elements: Water, wind, fire, earth
• Day in the life (of a person, a place, a stream, a tree…)
• Outdoor recreation (birding, kayaking, hiking, naturalist journaling…)
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Lunar cycles
• Sunlight and shadows
• Your local watershed
• Coexistence

As you zero in on a photo essay theme, consider two things: what most excites you about an idea, and what about it pushes you out of your comfort zone. The heady mix of joy and challenge will ensure you stick with it. 

Your photo essay is ready for the world! Decide how you’d like to make an impact with your work. You might use one or several of the options below.

1. Share it on your website

Create a gallery or a scrollytelling page on your website. This is a great way to drive traffic to your website where people can peruse your photo essay and the rest of the photography you have.

Putting it on your website and optimizing your images for SEO helps you build organic traffic and potentially be discovered by a broader audience, including photo editors.

2. Create a scrollytelling web page

If you enjoy the experience of immersive visual experiences, consider making one using your essay. And no, you don’t have to be a whiz at code to make it happen.

Shorthand helps you build web pages with scrollytelling techniques that make a big impression on viewers. Their free plan allows you to publish 3 essays or stories.

3. Create a Medium post

If you don’t have a website and want to keep things simple, a post on Medium is a great option.

Though it’s known for being a platform for bloggers, it’s also possible to add images to a post for a simple scroll.

And, because readers can discover and share posts, it’s a good place for your photos to get the attention of people who might not otherwise come across it.

4. Share it on Instagram

Instagram has changed a lot over the last couple of years, but it’s still a place for photographers to share their work thoughtfully.

There are at least 3 great ways to share your photo essay on the platform.

– Create a single post for each image. Add a caption. Publish one post per day until the full essay is on your feed. Share each post via Instagram Stories to bring more attention and interaction to your photo essay.

– Create a carousel post. You can add up 10 photos to a carousel post, so you may need to create two of them for your full photo essay. Or you might create a series of carousel posts using 3-4 images in each.

– Create a Reel featuring your images as a video.  The algorithm heavily favors reels, so turning your photo essay into a video experience can get it out to a larger audience.

I ran a “create a reel” challenge in my membership community. One member created a reel with her still images around a serious conservation issue. It gathered a ton of attention and landed her opportunities to share her message through YouTube and podcast interviews and publishing opportunities. Watch it here.

5. Exhibit it locally

Reach out to local galleries, cafes, pubs, or even the public library to see if they’re interested in hanging your photo essay for display. Many local businesses and organizations happily support the work of local artists.

6. Pitch your photo essay to publications

One of the best ways to reach an audience with your work is to get it published. Find publications that are a great fit for the theme and style of your photo essay, then pitch your essay for consideration. You gain a fantastic opportunity to share your work widely and can earn a paycheck at the same time.

Remember that if you want to get your photo essay published, you may want to hold back from sharing it publicly before you pitch it to publications.

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How to Create a Photo Essay

The photographic essay, also called a photo essay or photo story, is a powerful way for photographers to tell a story with their images. If you are interested in creating your own photo essay, this article will guide you through the whole process, from finding a story to shoot to the basics of crafting your first visual narrative.

Table of Contents

What is a photo essay.

A photo essay tells a story visually. Just like the kind you read, the photo essay offers a complete rendering of a subject or situation using a series of carefully crafted and curated images. Photo stories have a theme, and each image backs up that overarching theme which is defined in the photo essay’s title and is sometimes supported with text.

From documentary to narrative to essay, photo stories are designed to move their audience, to inspire a certain action, awareness, or emotion. Photo stories are not just a collection of cool photos. They must use their visual power to capture viewers’ attention and remain unforgettable.

History of the Photo Story

In the “old days”, that is, before 1948, magazines ran photo stories very different from what we know today. They were staged, preconceived by an editor, not a truthful observation of life. Along came a photographer named W. Eugene Smith, who worked for Life magazine.

Deciding to follow a rural doctor for six weeks, he gathered material for a photo essay that really showed what it was like to be in that doctor’s shoes, always on the go to help his scattered patients. Smith’s piece, “ Country Doctor ,” shook other photographers out of their scripted stupor and revolutionized the way photographers report what they see.

From then on, photojournalism gained life and an audience through the lenses of legends like Robert Capa, Dorothea Lange, David “Chim” Seymour, Gordon Parks, Werner Bischof, and Henri Cartier-Bresson. The Vietnam War provided many examples for photo stories as represented by Philip Jones Griffiths, Catherine Leroy, and many more.

More recently, photo stories have found a sturdy home online thanks to the ease of publishing a series of photos digitally versus in print. Lynsey Addario, Peter Essick, and Adam Ferguson represent a few of the photographers pushing visual storytelling today.

Ways to Find Photo Stories and Themes

Photo stories exist all around, right in the midst of everyday life and in the fray of current events. A good place to begin developing a photo essay is by choosing a general theme.

Topics that Interest You

The best expression comes from the heart, so why not choose a topic that interests you. Maybe it’s a social issue, an environmental one, or just something you’re curious about. Find what moves you and share that with the world.

Personal Experiences

The more you’ve lived, the more you have to tell. This doesn’t necessarily mean age, it can also refer to experiences, big and small. If you know a subject better than most, like what it’s like to recover from a car crash, you’re an expert on the matter and therefore you have a story to tell. Also, consider the things you read and see or watch, like news or history, and incorporate that into your search for a story.

Problem/Solution

Problems abound in the world. But so do solutions. Photojournalists can present either, or both. Have a look at something that’s wrong in society and show why it’s a problem. Or find a problem that’s been resolved and show the struggle it took to get there. Even better, take your time shooting your story — sometimes it can take years — and document how a wrong is righted.

Day-in-the-Life

One of the most popular formats, day-in-the-life photo stories present microcosms of life that relate to the bigger picture. In a similar vein, behind-the-scenes photo stories show viewers what life is really like for others, especially in situations that are difficult or impossible to access. Events represent another simple yet powerful theme for documenting and storytelling with a camera.

Types of Photo Stories

Most photo stories concern people. If it’s about something like the environment, for example, the photo story can showcase the people involved. In either case, the impactful photo story will present the challenges and dilemmas of the human condition, viscerally.

There are three general types of photo stories.

Narrative Story

Narrative deals with complications and their resolution, problems, and solutions. If there appears to be no resolution, at least the struggle to find one can provide material for a photo essay. Some sort of narrative thread must push the story from beginning to middle to end, just like what you see in a good movie.

A good story also requires action, which in this case must be visual. Good stories are page-turners, whether they’re a Kerouac tale or a series of photos demonstrating the difficulties of single parenting. Adventure stories are one good example of photographic narrative storytelling.

The term “photo story” is generally used interchangeably with “photo essay”, but some photographers hold that there are subtle differences between the two. The essay type of photo story implies opinion, they argue. Essays make a point. They are the opposite of facts-only news. A photo story essay makes a case for something, like showing the danger and consequences of illegal fireworks or advocating for the preservation of a forest.

Documentary

On the other hand, documentaries lack opinion. Their purpose is to inform without adding judgment. Documentaries present the facts and let viewers decide. They illustrate something that’s occurring but they don’t always include a narrative story or an opinionated approach. Historical places, current events, and unique lifestyles always make for good documentary photo stories.

How to Craft a Photo Essay

Several elements come into play when putting together a photo essay. Once you’ve found a theme, it’s time to give your project a name. While out shooting, jot down titles that come to mind. Consider the title a magazine headline that explains in few words what the whole story is about.

Choose your photos according to whether or not they relate to and support the photo essay’s title. Reject those photos that don’t. If your collection seems to suggest a different angle, a different title, don’t be afraid to rename it. Sometimes stories develop organically. But if your title can’t assemble and define your selection of photos, maybe it’s too vague. Don’t rush it. Identify the theme, take the photos and the photo essay will take shape.

Certain techniques help tell the photo essay.

A photo essay is composed of a diversity of views, angles, and focal lengths. While masters like Henri Cartier-Bresson could capture a photo essay with a single prime lens, in his case a 50mm, the rest of us are wise to rely on multiple focal lengths. Just like what we see in the movies, a story is told with wide shots that set the scene, medium shots that tell the story, and close-ups that reveal character and emotion.

Unique angles make viewers curious and interested, and they break the monotony of standard photography. Consider working black-and-white into your photo essay. The photo essay lends itself well to reportage exclusively in monochrome, as the legends have demonstrated since W. Eugene Smith.

Visual Consistency

The idea of a photo essay is to create a whole, not a bunch of random parts. Think gestalt. The images must interact with each other. Repetition helps achieve this end. Recurring themes, moods, styles, people, things, and perspectives work to unify a project even if the photos tell different parts of the story.

Text can augment the impact of a photo essay. A photo may be worth a thousand words, but it doesn’t always replace them. Captions can be as short as a complete sentence, as long as a paragraph, or longer. Make sure to take notes in case you want to add captions. Some photo stories, however, function just fine without words.

Tell a Story as a Photographer

Few genres of photography have moved people like the photo essay. Since its inception, the art of visual storytelling has captivated audiences. Photo stories show viewers things they had never seen, have moved masses to action, and have inspired video documentaries. Today, photo stories retain their power and place, in part thanks to the internet. Every photographer should experiment with a photo essay or two.

The method of crafting a photo essay is simple yet complicated, just like life. Careful attention must be paid to the selection of images, the choice of title, and the techniques used in shooting. But follow these guidelines and the photo stories will come. Seek issues and experiences that inspire you and go photograph them with the intention of telling a complete story. The viewing world will thank you.

Image credits: Header photo shows the May 13, 1957 story in LIFE magazine titled, “ The Tough Miracle Man of Vietnam .” Stock photos from Depositphotos

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Membuat foto yang bercerita (Photo story / essay)

Banyak orang bisa menulis, tapi sedikit yang bisa mengarang, banyak orang yang bisa motret, tapi jarang yang bisa membuat foto yang bercerita. Fotografi adalah salah satu media untuk bercerita yang sangat baik. Seringkali, fotografi yang baik dapat menggugah perasaan dibandingkan dengan tulisan semata. Mampu membuat foto yang bercerita merupakan suatu hal yang baik untuk mendapatkan pekerjaan di bidang fotografi terutama fotojurnalisme.

Dalam mengunakan fotografi untuk bercerita, biasanya fotografer mengunakan beberapa foto. Karena jarang satu foto dapat menceritakan satu kisah secara keseluruhan. Setelah foto terpilih, kita dapat menyusun sedemikian rupa sehingga pemirsa dapat melihat inti dan detail dari cerita secara lengkap.

Untuk membuat rangkaian foto bercerita (photo story) yang bagus, kita tidak hanya membutuhkan pengetahuan bagaimana membuat foto yg baik, tapi juga ketrampilan untuk bercerita. Kita membutuhkan ide/topik, membuat perencanaan. Selain itu kita membutuhkan kerjasama antara otak, mata dan hati. Dengan kerjasama antara ketiganya dengan baik, kita bisa mengetahui kapan saat dan dimana saat yang tepat untuk membuat foto.

Seringkali, rangkaian foto tersebut tidak hanya dibuat dalam satu hari saja, tapi berhari-hari di tempat yang berbeda-beda. Jika yang diceritakan melibatkan orang, maka hubungan antara fotografer dengan subjek foto juga harus baik. Sikap yang tidak baik atau kata-kata yang salah bisa menghambat kita untuk mendapatkan foto yang bagus.

Meskipun terdiri dari beberapa foto, tapi rangkaian photo story memiliki benang merah yang mengkaitkan antara satu foto dengan yang lainnya. Mengkaitkan foto bisa melalui subjek foto yang sama, gaya foto atau warna, komposisi, tempat dan topik yang sama.

Ada dua istilah yang sering membingungkan yaitu istilah photo essay dan photo story/picture story

Perbedaan singkatnya adalah:

• Photo Essay – menceritakan sebuah kisah, dan biasanya bertujuan sesuatu misalnya mengingatkan pemirsa akan bahaya narkoba, menceritakan pentingnya pelestarian lingkungan dan lain-lain. Foto-foto bisa dibuat di tempat dan dengan subjek foto yang berbeda-beda tapi masih satu topik yang sama.
• Photo story/picture story – Bercerita tentang seseorang, tempat atau situasi, ada bagian awal, tengah dan akhirnya. Misalnya cerita tentang kehidupan seorang petani, dokter, dll.

Meskipun foto yang dibuat sebenarnya bebas-bebas saja, tapi untuk pemula atau fotografer yang menyukai struktur, ada beberapa jenis foto yang biasanya ada dalam rangkaian photo story/essay:

• Establishing shot : Biasanya menggambarkan tempat/setting tempat kejadian, biasanya mengunakan lensa wide angle untuk memberikan kesan tiga dimensi, tapi terkadang, lensa tele juga digunakan.
• Detail shot : Foto detail benda atau bagian dari orang yang penting, misalnya cincin kawin atau close-up air mata / bibir seseorang, biasanya lensa makro atau telefoto digunakan.
• Interaction shot : Berisi interaksi dari dua orang atau lebih
• Climax : Sebuah foto yang menggambarkan puncak dari sebuah acara
• Closer/Clincher : Foto yang menutup cerita. Biasanya meninggalkan kesan, pesan, inspirasi atau motivasi

Lima langkah membuat photo story/essay:

• Tentukan topik misalnya cerita kegiatan seseorang selama sehari, atau esai tentang lingkungan hidup yang tercemar
• Riset – Cari informasi tentang topik yang dipilih
• Rencanakan foto-foto yang akan diambil (pemandangan, karakter/portrait, seni budaya, dll)
• Membuat foto di lokasi dan waktu yang telah direncanakan. Biasanya langkah ini yang paling banyak memakan waktu
• Editing dan pemilihan foto
• Tata letak/layout foto yang dipilih. Semakin penting fotonya semakin besar ukurannya relatif dengan foto yang lain

Referensi dan contoh foto yang bercerita:

• Koleksi photo essay berita terbaru dari Majalah Time
• Koleksi photo essay dari Koran New York Times
• Salah satu photo story pertama dari majalah LIFE “ Dokter Desa “
• Penjelasan perbedaan photo essay dan photo story oleh Michael Davis
• Contoh dan presentasi photo essay
• Langkah dan tip membuat photo essay
• Contoh-contoh photo essay dari Fotokita

artikelnya sangat bermanfaat om.

terima kasih

Om, dari pemaparan diatas kok foto essay dan story kayak gak ada bedanya yah…bahkan penulisannya juga dibuat story/essay.

Bisa dibantu pencerahan dasar yg membedakan antara keduanya om.

Om ijin bertanya, klo misalkan tentang keindahan gunung gunung di jawa barat, itu termasuk photo story bukan? Mohon masukannya om, terima kasih

Thanks. Ini infonya berguna banget. lengkap dengan referensi penunjang di akhir post, sehingga kasi pencerahan buat beginners. Appreciated 🙂

keren, bermanfaat banget informasinya, trimakasih, 🙂 (y)

bismillah semoga bisa buat foto storynya, amin 🙂

om Enche, untuk mengolah foto esai itu menggunakan ukuran kertas apa? thx (saya berencana membuat foto esai tapi bingung mengolahnya) dan satu lagi om, minta sarannya mengenai lensa makro nikkor 55 mm f3.5

klo artikel yg diatas sumbernya dari buku apa om?

@Nurul Mardiah coba cek link-link yang ada diatas.

@Nurul dijual di toko buku kok.

oke terima kasih om infonya.. buku2 itu dijual tidak di toko2 buku seperti gramedia atau toko buku lain?

ka mau tanya kalo contoh photo hortikultura nusantara seperti apa? lalu apakaha photo essay itu harus disertakan tulisan cerita atau hanya foto saja? apakah photo essay itu di satukan dalam satu photo (penggabungan) saat di edit atau tidak? boka lomba photo essay itu seperti apa ya ka contohnya?

referensi buku yang mengulas tentang photo story apa aja ya om? mohon bantuannya, untuk skripsi 🙂 terima kasih..

@Nurul kalau buku bahasa Indonesia saya gak tau. Tapi kalau bahasa Inggris: Photojournalism , Perfect Photography ,

Om Enche ijin share ya om ?

harga nya berapaan thu mas enche?

@Lingga Sekitar 3 juta

yang murah Canon 50mm f/2.5 Macro

mantap,, pst susah nie buat foto seperti ini…

mas,, boleh tny,,, kamera macro untuk canon yang murah tp bagus thu yg gimana?

weh djabarin lbh lengkap lagi nich,mantab om..tetap semangat bagi2 ilmunya,klo sy semangat bwt nyimak post2nya he.he.he

Referensi tambahan: artikel-artikel di Invisible Photographer Asia (IPA). Link: http://invisiblephotographer.asia/

Makasih ya om enche..asik bgt artikel yang satu ini, +1 referensi nya 🙂

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Nama lengkap Indan Kurnia Efendi. Lahir di Sumedang pada 05 Juni 1993. Lulusan Ilmu Komunikasi. Bergelut di bidang fotografi, videografi dan jurnalistik, kini jadi abdi negara || instagram : indankurnia

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Mengenal Foto Story dan Foto Essay

Jika Anda baru saja terjun ke dunia fotografi, mungkin akan merasa bingung antara foto essay dan foto story. Bukankah keduanya sama-sama foto seri? Ya, betul. Pada hakikatnya foto story maupun foto essay keduanya merupakan bagian dari jenis fotografi. Namun keduanya memiliki beberapa kemiripan sehingga banyak kalangan yang menganggap bahwa foto story dan foto essay itu sama, tetapi pada kenyataannya berbeda. Di bawah ini terdapat beberapa kutipan daricamera.co.id :

Pada kenyataannya masih banyak para fotografer yang 'lupa' beberapa elemen yang sebenarnya sangat penting pada pembuatan foto essay. Hal pertama yaitu harus ada caption pada setiap foto. Caption tersebut berisikan (lazimnya) 5W+1H. Misal Anda memotret para migran yang bersemangat mempersiapkan diri untuk pergi ke luar negeri. Di dalam cerita, Anda ingin memaparkan bagaimana proses mereka mengurusi persyaratan, meminta izin keluarga, hingga mempersiapkan ilmu dalam hal ini mengikuti pelatihan. Pada satu foto terdapat momen si A sedang sungkem kepada orang tua sembari meminta izin untuk pergi jauh. Anda dapat membubuhkan caption, "Suwarni tengah mencium kaki ibunya, Marni di rumahnya di Indramayu, Senin (13/2/2015). Hal tersebut dilakukan sebelum Suwarni berangkat ke Malaysia untuk menjadi TKW".

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Cara Membuat Esai Foto

Artikel ini disusun bersama Heather Gallagher . Heather Gallagher adalah Fotografer dan Jurnalis Foto yang tinggal di Austin, Texas. Dia mengelola studio fotonya "Heather Gallagher Photography" yang terpilih sebagai Austin's Best Family Photographer dan termasuk 3 terbaik dalam Birth Photographers selama 2017, 2018, dan 2019. Heather mengkhususkan diri menangani jurnalisme foto keluarga dan menghabiskan lebih dari 15 tahun mendokumentasikan individu, keluarga, dan bisnis di seluruh dunia. Klien-kliennya meliputi Delta Airlines, Oracle, Texas Monthly, dan karya-karyanya tampil di The Washington Post dan The Austin American Statesman. Dia merupakan anggota International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IAPBP). Ada 9 referensi yang dikutip dalam artikel ini dan dapat ditemukan di akhir halaman. Artikel ini telah dilihat 16.741 kali.

Esai foto kini menjadi media yang semakin populer bagi jurnalis, blogger, dan pengiklan. Baik ingin berusaha menunjukkan sisi emosional liputan berita terkini ataupun membagikan hobi dengan teman dan keluarga, gambar dapat menangkap topik Anda dengan cara yang personal, emosional, dan menarik. Membuat esai foto semudah memilih topik, mengambil gambar, dan menyusun esai itu sendiri.

Mencari Topik

• Tawarkan esai foto tempat bisnis Anda sebagai alat pelatihan.
• Gunakan esai foto tentang bisnis Anda sebagai alat penjualan atau media sosial dengan menerbitkannya di situs web atau halaman media sosial.
• Buatlah esai foto panduan untuk membantu orang lain mempelajari hobi Anda, jadi mereka juga bisa menekuninya. [3] X Teliti sumber

• Topik tematik adalah gagasan besar yang mencakup hal-hal seperti aturan kepemilikan senjata, anak muda bermasalah, atau penyambutan tentara.
• Esai naratif bisa meliputi kehidupan harian, panduan cara, atau rangkaian perkembangan yang menunjukkan perubahan seiring waktu seperti melacak perkembangan sebuah proyek pembangunan.
• Jika Anda sudah diberi penugasan atau publikasi khusus untuk pekerjaan Anda, mungkin Anda harus memilih topik yang sesuai dengan pendekatan tematik atau naratif yang diuraikan oleh penerbit. Pastikan Anda sudah tahu sebelumnya tentang panduan penerbitan tersebut. [6] X Teliti sumber

Mengatur Pemotretan

• Pikirkan kesulitan untuk meminta izin memotret subjek Anda. Jika Anda sudah menjalin hubungan, akan lebih mudah. Jika tidak, luangkan waktu untuk mendapatkan izin.
• Sekolah, tempat penitipan anak, dan tempat lain yang berisi anak-anak umumnya memiliki lebih banyak aturan tentang siapa yang boleh difoto dan untuk keperluan apa. Biasanya Anda harus mendapatkan persetujuan orang tua, selain izin dari pihak yang berwenang. [7] X Teliti sumber

• Pertimbangkan untuk melakukan wawancara dengan orang-orang yang terlibat sebelum pemotretan. Tanyakan hal-hal seperti, “Apa hal paling menarik yang Anda lakukan selama acara ini?” atau “Sudah berapa lama Anda terlibat dengan organisasi ini?”
• Wawancara ini juga merupakan peluang besar untuk meminta izin.
• Jika Anda akan menghadiri lokasi kerja, acara amal, atau kegiatan lain yang melibatkan banyak orang, mintalah orang-orang yang berwenang untuk menjelaskan apa yang Anda lakukan kepada semua orang sebelum Anda tiba di lokasi. [8] X Teliti sumber

Memotret Gambar

• Banyak fotografer pemula menghindari gambar ISO tinggi karena menghasilkan gambar yang “sibuk”. Namun, gambar ini biasanya lebih mudah diedit belakangan karena ada lebih banyak informasi yang bisa dikerjakan. [11] X Teliti sumber
• Jika di lokasi Anda terlalu terang atau Anda telah memasang penerangan buatan, ISO rendah mungkin sudah mencukupi. Untuk area yang lebih gelap, Anda mungkin akan butuh ISO lebih tinggi.
• Kebanyakan kamera memiliki ISO dasar sekitar 200. ISO meningkat sesuai perkalian, jadi ISO berikut adalah 400, lalu 800, dan seterusnya. Pada dasarnya ini menggandakan kepekaan lensa sehingga memungkinkan lebih banyak cahaya masuk dan menangkap gambar lebih cepat.
• Jika Anda butuh satu detik untuk menangkap gambar dengan ISO dasar 100, Anda akan butuh seperdelapan detik untuk menangkap gambar dengan ISO 800. [12] X Teliti sumber

• Bahkan jika Anda mengambil foto candid , yang mungkin harus diambil dengan cepat, luangkan beberapa saat untuk memikirkan tentang penempatan objek guna mendapatkan hasil terbaik.
• Berpikirlah selalu tentang bagaimana lingkungan subjek utama berperan dalam keseluruhan gambar, dan cobalah untuk membuat tingkat dan pusat perhatian berbeda.
• Kadang-kadang, Anda bisa mengubah komposisi sebagai bagian dari proses pengeditan, jadi jika Anda tidak bisa mengatur gambar dengan tepat, jangan biarkan hal ini menghalangi Anda mengambil gambar yang diinginkan. [13] X Teliti sumber

Menyusun Esai

• Jika Anda mengerjakan esai foto kehidupan keseharian tentang orang frustrasi yang bekerja di kantor, gambar orang itu sedang berusaha keras membuka pintu depan melawan angin mungkin akan menjadi gambar fokus yang sesuai.
• Jika esai Anda tentang proses pembangunan rumah, gambar fokus Anda mungkin sesuatu seperti kontraktor atau arsitek yang sedang melihat cetak biru dengan gambar rumah terbingkai di latar belakang.
• Jika esai Anda tentang reuni keluarga, gambar fokus bisa berupa gambar lucu seluruh keluarga yang memberengut, berpura-pura sedang bertengkar, atau foto serius keluarga berpose bersama. Ambillah apa pun yang terlihat alami bagi keluarga tersebut. [17] X Teliti sumber

• Apa pun jenis esainya, Anda butuh gambar fokus untuk menarik perhatian.
• Gunakan gambar keseluruhan untuk memberi konteks pada esai Anda. Di mana, kapan terjadinya, siapa yang terlibat, apa yang terjadi, dan mengapa seseorang harus tertarik? Aturan 5W dalam jurnalistik merupakan cara yang tepat untuk menentukan apa yang harus ditangkap oleh gambar keseluruhan Anda.
• Temukan gambar akhir Anda. Gambar ini harus provokatif yang meminta pemirsa memikirkan tentang topik.
• Di antara gambar fokus, gambar keseluruhan, dan gambar penutup, sertakan serangkaian gambar yang menggerakkan pemirsa dari gambar-gambar pendahuluan ke gambar akhir. Gunakan gambar yang membangun intensitas atau menarik pemirsa lebih jauh ke dalam esai. [19] X Teliti sumber

• Jika gambar-gambar tersebut tidak bercerita, mintalah teman Anda melihat foto-foto lain dan tanyakan, “Saya ingin gambar ini menyampaikan maksud ini. Kamu punya pemikiran berbeda. Apakah salah satu gambar ini menyampaikan maksud ini lebih jelas?”
• Jikapun orang lain menyukai gambar-gambar yang Anda pilih, tetap minta mereka untuk melihat-lihat foto Anda yang lain dan mengatakan kepada Anda apakah mereka berpikir gambar-gambar yang tidak Anda sertakan seharusnya ditambahkan. Mereka mungkin melihat sesuatu yang luput dari Anda. [20] X Teliti sumber

• Jika Anda ditugaskan menambahkan foto pada sebuah esai, pastikan foto tersebut mencerminkan tulisan, tetapi tambahkan juga emosi dan konteks yang tidak dapat ditangkap oleh tulisan. Misalnya, sebuah esai tentang kemiskinan mungkin menyertakan gambar orang tua dan anaknya tinggal di jalanan untuk menangkap lebih banyak konteks emosional.
• Keterangan gambar hanya boleh menyertakan informasi yang tidak dapat diperoleh pemirsa dari foto itu sendiri. Misalnya, Anda boleh menyertakan tanggal, nama subjek, atau statistik yang relevan dengan subjek Anda dalam keterangan gambar.
• Jika Anda memilih tidak menyertakan teks apa pun, atau cukup menyertakan judul dan kalimat pendahuluan dan/atau penutup, pastikan Anda menyampaikan semua informasi penting secara ringkas. [21] X Teliti sumber
• Kreatiflah mencari topik. Sesuatu yang sederhana seperti "hal yang saya suka" akan memadai asalkan Anda tetap kreatif.
• Pastikan Anda familier dengan kamera. Ini akan memudahkan Anda mengatur komposisi foto.
• Tidak perlu ciut nyali. Mungkin butuh uji coba beberapa kali untuk mendapatkan hasil foto yang diinginkan.

wikiHow Terkait

• ↑ http://digital-photography-school.com/5-photo-essay-tips/
• ↑ http://improvephotography.com/30816/10-ideas-creative-photo-essays/
• ↑ http://www.collectivelens.com/blog/creating-photo-essay/
• ↑ http://www.apogeephoto.com/how-to-create-a-photo-essay/
• ↑ http://photo.journalism.cuny.edu/week-5/
• ↑ http://clickitupanotch.com/2010/12/creating-a-photo-essay/
• ↑ https://photographylife.com/what-is-iso-in-photography
• ↑ https://wiredimpact.com/blog/how-to-make-a-photo-essay-nonprofit/
• ↑ http://digital-photography-school.com/5-tips-for-creating-a-photo-essay-with-a-purpose/

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Exploring the Picture Essay: Tips, Best Practices, and Examples

April 18, 2023

Words by Jeff Cardello

A picture essay lets you harness the power of images to tell stories, evoke emotions, and convey a sense of place, time, and perspective.

Picture essays drop viewers right into the action, letting them see things through the camera’s lens, offering insights and understanding that isn’t possible through words alone. From static pages of photos, to carousels and animated articles, photo essays come in many forms. With no-code tools like Vev , it’s now easier than ever for journalists, designers, and publishers to create immersive, visually-led digital content to make their stories stand out from the crowd. Here’s everything you need to know about crafting stunning picture essays — from techniques and best practices through to world-class examples.

What is a Picture Essay?

Picture essays, also known as photo essays, are a form of visual storytelling . They are composed of a series of photos which together form a narrative or communicate information or ideas. They can have a clear beginning, middle, and end, but aren’t necessarily bound to linear narratives. Whether used for a chronological story or capturing a moment in time, all of the photos share a common theme that connects them.

Photo essays are often accompanied by text, providing context or conveying additional details. This can range from the most basic information such as titles, dates, or locations, or a caption helping to narrate the visual story. Some picture essays may rely solely on the imagery, while others may include more text to create a scrollytelling piece of content, with text even overlaid on the photos. The key to a picture essay is that the driver and focus is the visuals.

The Origins of the Picture Essay

Photography emerged as a documentary form at the beginning of the 20th century. Many cite Lewis Hine and the work he did between 1911 and 1916 in bringing attention to the harsh realities of child labor in the United States as one of the earliest examples of the picture essay. In 1948, the photographer W. Eugene Smith published a picture essay titled “Country Doctor” following a physician in rural Colorado and showing his work with the patients as well as what he did in his downtime. This is another notable example that elevated picture-taking into a journalistic art form.

Lewis Hine’s photos captured the hardships of children in the workplace and were instrumental in changing American labor laws.

Picture essays have remained an important part of journalism, having kept pace from its black-and-white beginnings to the high-resolution full-color images of today’s digital media.

Design Techniques for the Perfect Picture Essay

Scrollytelling images.

Scrollytelling images smoothly fade from one photo to the next as someone moves through a website, often with overlaid text to help describe what is happening in the images. This a subtle, yet effective way to break up content, and makes sure that each photo captures the attention of those scrolling.

Scroll Speed

Scroll speed is an effect that controls how reactive elements are to scrolling. Varying how reactive elements are to scrolling gives them a sense of distinction, rather than having them all lumped together in one long block. For example, a lower setting like 10% will make a photo move slower than one that’s set at 90%. This technique creates a scroll animation that keeps readers engaged in the picture essay. 

Scroll Progress Bars

A website full of photos often presents a lengthy amount of content for visitors to navigate through, especially if it’s a single page. Scroll progress bars , often tucked into the top of the screen, show visitors where they’re at and urge them to keep scrolling to the end.

Image Comparison Slider

When you want to display photos that show the before and after of something, an image comparison slider makes it possible to communicate changes through a single interactive image.

Clickable Image Hotspots

Photo essays rely on images to tell much of their stories, but text also provides context and additional information, clickable hotspots, also known as labeled images , maximize screen space and give visitors control in revealing details.

Image Carousels

Image carousels let visitors click, scroll, or drag through a series of images and are generally navigated horizontally, but may take other forms.

Best Practices for Picture Essay Design

• Know the story you want to tell: Identify the main points you want to visually communicate. Photo essays can tell a linear story but also be used to convey a sense of atmosphere or feeling. 
• Use different types of shots: Photographs can become monotonous when they’re all the same. Mix up things with different angles, close-up shots, different compositions, and other variations to keep your picture essays interesting.
• Choose only the best images: Photos shouldn’t only look good, but be relevant to the story you’re telling. 
• Know your audience: Keep in mind the target demographic the photo essay is intended for and make sure the style and tone are in line with who they are. 
• Keep things moving: Utilize scroll-triggered transitions, animations, and other points of interactivity to guide visitors through and keep their attention.

10 Aspirational Picture Essay Examples

From egmont to taranaki.

From Egmont to Taranaki is a picture essay built with Vev that’s both a personal story and a history lesson. It recounts the author John Campbell’s travels through the New Zealand countryside with a terminally ill friend while also delving into the painful past of how the indigenous Maori became dispossessed of these very spaces. Much like the twists and turns of the road, this photo essay bounces back between John’s memories and the history of this land.

Along with photos showing the beautiful green landscape and delightfully greasy food that John enjoyed with his friend during their travels, there are also animated effects. Fade-ins, text scrolling over fixed images, and parallax break the content up and keep up your momentum as you move through it.

Food for Thought

From sheep grazing on the rocky hillsides of Kyrgyzstan to fishermen casting their nets into the blue waters off of Indonesia, Food for Thought depicts where food comes from across the globe. The photos are big and brilliant, capturing the people tasked with the hard work of food production, the geography, as well as the animals and crops they are responsible for.

Each section uses a fixed image parallax scrolling effect that functions as a sliding window drawing the next image into place. There’s also a great use of hot spots, represented by circular icons that visitors can click on in learning more.

With its handsome metallic luster and Art Deco geometry, Bialetti’s pots help so many start their days with an easy way to brew cups of dark and delicious coffee.

They have a long and interesting history that can be traced back to 1933 when Italian engineer Alfonso Bialetti introduced its stovetop coffee maker. Bialetti tells its story through images showing where Alfonso drew his inspiration, product photos, and advertisements over the years. Along with a comprehensive timeline of visuals, you’ll also find plenty of motion in the form of parallax scrolling, animations, and other dynamic visuals. The scroll progress bar at the top is also a nice touch, showing people where they are in this one-page design.

Witnesses to History Keepers of Memory

Witnesses to History Keepers of Memory is an interactive photo essay put together by the Montreal Holocaust Museum. Pictured are Holocaust survivors along with the items they still have that accompanied them through detainment.

The main gallery of photos has much in terms of interactivity with hover-triggered animations, and a previous and next button letting you flip through them. The cursor turns into an eye icon, and clicking through on any of the photos brings you to a new screen that tells the story of the person pictured.

Seeing these people today, along with these personal items is a strong reminder that this terrible period of history wasn’t that long ago, and shows the strength and resilience of those who went through it.

Hakai Autonomous Ocean

Gliders are submersible robots used by scientists to explore what’s beneath the ocean and to gather data. They’re a relatively new technology, free from propellers, which harness ocean currents to move them through the water. The Autonomous Ocean begins with video footage of the sea rushing by and text telling how one of these $150,000 robots was experiencing trouble. It’s a dramatic opening that makes you want to keep reading to find out what happened.

Built with Vev, this single-page website is full of photographs showing oceanic gliders in action and how scientists use them. Scrollytelling images provide smooth transitions fading from one photo to the next, with accompanying text moving over them. This design also features a clever image comparison slider, displaying both the internal and external features of this submersible.

Moma Strange Brew

Viewed at a distance, John Klines’ art installation entitled Skittles looks like a refrigerator of fancy juices that you might find at any upscale grocer. The labels affixed to these juices reveal that inside these bottles are ingredients like yoga mat, fake plant, and shopping bag. All that looks delicious and nutritious from afar is something far grosser, making this art piece a funny and satirical take on consumerism.

This photo essay shows the steps involved in creating this piece, moving you through each stage of how this humorous and thought-provoking art piece came to be.

Picture essays are a documentary form of visual storytelling , and non-profits use them to bring attention to the problems of the world, and what they're doing to help solve them.

The United Nations Children’s Fund, more commonly known as UNICEF, is committed to the rights and health of children. This picture essay , featuring work by photographer Jan Grarup, covers UNICEF’s Denmark warehouse, where medicines and other essential goods are stored, and the people in countries like Haiti, Lebanon, and Uganda that these items reach.

Photos show shelves full of supplies, the places they’re sent out to, and the hospitals where they’re so desperately needed. You see the hardships that people face, and how UNICEF’s work helps improve their lives. It’s a breathtaking piece of photojournalism showing why their humanitarian work is so important.

The Guardian 

Slippery slope? Alpine tourism in the face of climate crisis covers climate change and how it impacts the Alps. This photo essay not only shows scenes of winter tourism, but what the Alps are like year-round. This gives an in-depth look at the interrelationships between the people, landscape, and ecosystem and the cascade of effects that global warming causes. 

Because this photo essay focuses on two very different times of the year, you’ll find several image comparison sliders showing what the Alps look like in the winter, and what they look like after the snow melts. Image comparison sliders work perfectly comparing different times of the year, and maximizing screen space.

The Naija Story

Since Nigeria declared its independence from Britain in October of 1960, they have had both turmoil and triumphs. Naija Story communicates Nigeria’s history, bringing visitors to who they are as a country today.

This design is divided into sections covering topics like politics, technology, and entertainment. Photo essays are an effective medium for history, and Naija Story uses them to highlight the events that have shaped Nigeria in these individual sections.

Along with photos, there are scroll-triggered animations that shift the visuals and text into place, as well as lines that connect all of these events making them simple to follow. There’s so much to learn about Nigeria, and it’s all conveyed in an artistic, yet easy-to-understand way.

Ukrainian Ballerina Uprooted by War Flies High Again

Ending our exploration of picture essays is this piece from Reuters, which tells the story of ballet dancer Ganna Muromtseva 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.

Along with candid photography, there’s also a nice sense of interactivity. As visitors scroll text moves over the photos, giving context. There are also fade-ins as one moves from one image to the next, which also adds dynamics to the visuals.

Create Stunning Picture Essays in Vev

If you have a story you’d like to tell through photos, Vev offers a multitude of creative possibilities to bring it to life. With image comparison sliders, carousels, scroll animations, and other pre-built elements, we make it possible to create visually captivating editorial content just as you imagined it — without needing to write a line of code. When your design is ready, publish it to any existing website through Vev or embed your Vev project into your existing CMS.

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• Photographing

The Comprehensive Guide to Shooting Photo Stories & Essays

Robert Capa, W. Eugene Smith, Henri Cartier Bresson, James Nachtwey. If you've heard of even one of these names, and even if you haven't, you've probably experienced photojournalism at it's finest. When you're dealing with a big issue and not just an event, a long form, multiple-image project is a great way to tell the story. In this tutorial, I'll take you through the steps to choosing and following through on a long-term documentary photo project, also known as photo story or essay.

Getting Started

The first thing logical step in starting a project is choosing your subject. The most important rule of long-term projects is to choose a subject that you are interested in. You cannot expect your audience to care about a topic that you yourself don't care about. So when you start your search, first choose a broad topic that you want to learn more about.

You also want it to be something that other people want/need to know about. Examples of this might be homelessness, a pandemic disease like HIV/AIDS or obesity, or something lighter like the Punk-Rock subculture or extreme athletes. The first three photos in this tutorial are from a project about a child with autism.

The Project Levels

The hardest thing for me when doing a project is maintaining focus. Therefore, I've developed a theory. For me there are four levels of projects. This is a system I use with myself and students to help narrow down topics and keep the subject of the project clearly defined.

Level One: A Broad Topic Project

Once you've decided on a topic, your first instinct might be to dive right in and cover the entirety of it. This usually ends in biting off more than you can chew. This isn't to say that a project covering something big like homelessness can't be achieved, but would take many years. And a large topic project like that is usually just made up of smaller parts and pieces. These smaller pieces are usually Level Two, Three and Four projects placed together.

Level Two: The Specific Topic Project

For one of my first projects, I was really interested in religion. So I wanted to do a project that touched on that. Religion is a huge topic that would take a two or three lifetimes to document in any good way. So I had to narrow it down a bit.

First I looked at what I had access to. I was in a relatively small town in the state of Kentucky in the U.S. So the main religion in the area was Christianity. The city had about 60,000 people living there, and at least 20 different Christian churches there. And they were all very different, so the topic of Christianity was still too broad.

So then I started to think about interesting topics within Christianity. Because I had access to the college organizations and there was a nearby Catholic elementary school, I decided to do a project on how young are indoctrinated and grow with their faith.

The photos you've been seeing here, are from that project. I wanted to “follow" children as the grew, but as I had a limited time, I photographed different children of all ages. I went to a couple different Christian schools, spend time with a youth group and followed the activities of national college organization called Campus Crusade for Christ.

I consider this project a photo essay. It covers a big topic using photos of many different people in many different places. The final presentation was around 20 photos.

Let me emphasize that this information won't be found in any textbooks. I've made up these terms. So if you talk to another photojournalist, don't say “I'm working on a Level Two project about Childhood Christianity," because they won't have a clue what you're talking about. Maybe one day, my theories about photojournalism will be that important and well-known, but not yet!

Level Three: A Location Project

The next level of project is another type that I believe should be avoided. It is the dreaded Location Project. These projects seem easy when you think about them. You just hang out in one place. If you choose an interested place, then things should meet interesting people and see interesting things.

Though I don't recommend it as a stand alone piece, this type of project can also be used to tell the story of a larger issue. So it could be worked into a Level One project or even as a small part of a level two project. If you're doing a piece of HIV/AIDS, doing a short piece on a unique clinic might work well.

The reason these projects rarely work is that they are extremely confining. While you may get some good photos that sum up what is happening at the location, you'll quickly run out of backgrounds. Also, mainly the same things occur over and over again at any given place, so photos can often times get a little redundant.

The photos you've been seeing in this section are from a Location Project I completed on an after school learning center. I learned my lesson. The few photos you see here are really about all that's needed to educate the viewer on what happens there. Not quiet enough variety to warrant a long-term, big project.

Level Four: A Personality Project

The final level is the Personality Project. This is a series of photos that attempts to tell the story of a specific person or very small group of people. I think this type of project is a great approach to many topics. It allows the audience to make an emotional connection with the individual. We like seeing inside other people's lives.

And like Level Two and Three projects, this type of project can be used to tell the story of a larger issue. For example, the photos you are seeing in this section are from a project I did on a single mother and daughter who has cerebral palsy. The goal of the project was to tell the story of raising a disabled child through the eyes of one family. The basic ideas extrapolate out to everyone in that situation.

I think of these projects as photo stories as opposed to photo essays. In these projects, you'll be spending a lot of time with the subjects. You'll follow them through their daily lives, and it can become a hard balancing act to not get too involved with your subject and at the same time allow them to trust you. But we'll dive deeper into that later.

The last thing about Personality Projects that's important to remember is that while you're trying to tell a larger story through the story of an individual, the planning stage is where that type of thinking needs to end. Once you've found a subject, concentrate on their unique story. And don't let your preconceived notions affect how you tell the story.

Levels Summary

So let's run through a quick example. Let's say for instance, that you are interested in Indian Religion. A Level One project would be just that. A project on the religions of India, in order to be successful, it could take many many years. And it could also be made up of many smaller projects.

A Level Two project on Indian Religions would be on a more focused topic like Jainism, a single faith within Indian, and possible narrowed even further to focus on Jains in the United States, like the photos you're seeing in this section. This type of project would involve photographing many different people in different locations to tell an overall and complete story.

A Level Three project centered on Jainism might be about a temple or meeting place. These types of projects should generally be avoided unless they are being used as a small part of a Level One project because of their limiting nature.

A Level Four project with this same theme would be about a single Jain person or family. The project would be centered around the personalities and personal stories of your subject.

Compassion vs. Bias

Now that you've determined what your broad approach will be to your project, you'll need to consider ethics. Photojournalism and documentary photography have rules of ethics. You don't pose photos (unless the image is obviously a portrait). You don't manipulate scenes or exploit your subjects. But there are also generalized ethical principles that apply to how you treat your subjects.

Caring For Your Subject

If you spend enough time with anyone, you will undoubtedly have some feelings toward them. You may discover you really like them or you may disagree with their lifestyle. Regardless of whether the feelings are good or bad, you're not there to judge. You're there to document.

You need to be concerned with how your work will affect their life. If you think the impact of work will harm them in some way, then you need to weigh that cost against the benefit of having the story be made public. Ask yourself who it will help? But mostly, be a human, be compassionate, let them know that you care whether they live or die.

Try to understand their situation. It will make your story much better. And if you make your intentions clear, your subjects will trust you and let you into their lives.

Remaining Neutral

Being compassionate does not mean slanting your story to make the subject appear to be something or someone they are not. It also means you should extremely careful about helping your subject by giving them anything.

By becoming a big part of their life, you are altering their story and becoming an acting force in what happens. The story is no longer just about them. I'm telling you to withhold food from a starving man, just remember consider the implications of intervening.

Image Variety

A large factor in making your photo essay or story interesting will be how much visual variety the images have. If all of your photos look the same, your piece will be boring. So use a wide array of lenses and angles. Make use of wide scene-setting shots to show the audience the environment.

Also don't forget about close-up detail photos that might add to the story. Another hint is compare the size of the subject's face in your images. If the faces are all the same size, you might want to consider using different lens, shooting at a different distance or cropping to have more variety.

The Flow of Images

The images in an essay or a story usually appear in an order. You'll want to determine what image appears first and which appears lasts. Sometimes the images might flow chronologically. But you can also make your images flow using juxtaposition so the images play off of each other.

Sometimes simply finding images with similar shapes can be enough to keep the story moving along. This process can be tricky, but making out small low-quality prints can help you to physically move things around and visualize the final look.

Captioning a photo is pretty standard. You want to answer the questions, who, what, where, when and why. Ideally they are one or two sentences. For your project, you'll want to make sure you aren't being redundant. If three photos in a row are from the same location, you don't need to answer the “where" question every time.

It's best to write the captions for your project in one document and read it separately from the photos. They should read like a story as well. Be careful to just restate what's going on in the photo. If someone is using a drill, don't say “Joe Smith uses a drill." Go deeper. You might say, “Joe Smith drills into an old piece of oak," or “Joe Smith's wife saved two dollars a week for year to purchase a drill for her husband." Make your captions apply to the story.

Presentation

There are many ways that photo stories and essay can be presented to the public. The internet offers many different formats of photo galleries and slideshow. So if you're publishing the project or your own site, browse the internet for free plug-ins and code.

If you'll be printing your project, I'm a big advocate of using online printing services due to their cost effectiveness. Basically, you'll want to be able to show your work to someone who is in a position to publish it, so make sure it's tidy and, if it's online, that it works on a variety or web browser and operating systems.

Getting Published

If your story is well photographed and covers and interesting topic, there are a variety of places that you can pitch your piece. Your local newspaper is a great place to start. If you live in the U.S. in a medium to large-sized city, don't forget about the AAN (Association of Alternative Newsweeklies). Most big cities in the U.S. have a weekly paper that is part of this network.

If you're looking for non-traditional media, there are two great websites that publish photo essays. The first is JPG: Magazine , which takes the best content that's submitted to its site and publishes a print magazine.

The second is Vewd , which has an interesting profit sharing model for its contributors.

Now that you've read this tutorial, you should be able to impress even the most shrewd editor - well, as long as your pictures are good enough. But that's what the rest of this site is for! So keep reading, and get started on that project.

Ten examples of immersive photo essays

Photo essays are one of the most powerful forms of storytelling in the last century. From the great depression photographer W. Eugene Smith to the photojournalism of National Geographic or Life Magazine , the best photo essays entertain, educate, and move readers more than words alone ever could. 

By Marissa Sapega

But photo essays have changed. Over the last decade, web publishing technologies — including web browsers and file formats — have improved by leaps and bounds. A good photo essays today is more than a collection of images. It’s a truly interactive, immersive, and multimedia experiences.

In this guide, we introduce 10 stunning examples of visually arresting interactive photo essays to fuel your creative juices.

Now, let's set the scene with a short introduction to immersive, interactive photo essays on the web.

What do the BBC, Tripadvisor, and Penguin have in common? They craft stunning, interactive web content with Shorthand. And so can you! Create your first story for free — no code or web design skills required. Sign up now.

The rise of immersive, interactive photo essays

What is an immersive, interactive photo essay? Let's take these terms one at a time. 

An immersive photo essay uses rich media and story design to capture and keep the reader's attention. Immersive content is typically free of the most distracting elements of the web, such as pop-ups, skyscrapers, and other intrusions on the reading experience.

As a basic rule of thumb, immersive content respects the reader's attention. 

An interactive photo essay is one that allows the reader to control how the content appears. It may include interactive elements, like maps and embedded applications.

More commonly, modern interactive photo stories use a technique known as scrollytelling . Scrollytelling stories allow the reader to trigger animations and other visual effects as they scroll. Many of the examples in this guide use scrollytelling techniques. Read more scrollytelling examples .

Until relatively recently, immersive, interactive photo essays could only be created with the help of a designer or web developer. But with the rise of digital storytelling platforms , anyone can create compelling, dynamic stories without writing a single line of code.

If you're looking to learn more about how to create a photo essay — or are looking for more photo essay ideas  — check out our introduction to photo essays . 

Photo essay topics

If you’re looking for photo essay examples, chances are you’re looking to create a photo essay for yourself. If you’re just getting started, you might want some guidance on exactly what kinds of topics make for great photo essays.

More experienced photographers — feel free to skip this section. But for those who are just starting out, here’s a quick list of classic photo essay subject matter, for all types of photo essays.

• Local events. A great way to start out is photograph local events in your community, such as a high school fundraiser. A bonus is that you’ll have a ready
• Historic sites. Another classic photo essay topic is an exploration of a historic site. This could be a building, a monument, or even just a specific location that has significance.
• Profile of a person. A great way to get to know someone is to profile them in a photo essay. This could be a family member, friend, or even just someone you’ve met.
• Animals in captivity. Another popular subject matter for photo essays is animals in captivity, whether that’s at a zoo or elsewhere.
• A day in the life. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live someone else’s life for a day? Why not find out and document it in a photo essay?
• Street photography. Another great way to practice your photography skills is to head out into the streets and photograph the everyday lives of people around you. The world has plenty of photo essays of cities like New York and London. But what about street photography in your own backyard?
• Still life photography. Still life photography is all about capturing inanimate objects on film. This could be anything from flowers to furniture to food. It’s a great way to practice your photography skills and learn about composition
• Landscapes . Landscape photography is one of the most popular genres, and for good reason. There are endless possibilities when it comes to finding interesting subjects to shoot. So get out there and start exploring!
• Abandoned buildings. There’s something fascinating about abandoned buildings. They offer a glimpse into the past, and can be eerily beautiful. If you have any in your area, they make for great photo essay subjects.
• Lifestyles. Document someone who lives a lifestyle that’s different from your own. This could be a portrayal of an everyday person, or it could be someone with an unusual job or hobby.
• Social issues. Take photos depicting significant social issues in your community, remembering to respect your subjects.

Ten inspiring photo essay examples

Pink lagoon and peculiar galaxies — July’s best science images

In Pink lagoon and peculiar galaxies , Nature present a mesmerising series of images from the natural world. Highlights include:

• a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it photo of rare albino orcas performing feats of synchronized swimming;
• an arresting aerial view of the aftermath of the flash floods in Germany; and,
• a scarlet gawping Venus flytrap sea anemone. 

The best part? Nature publishes similarly powerful photo essays every month, showcasing some of the best and most creative photography of the natural world anywhere on the web.

Vanishing Lands

Vanishing lands — an ominously interesting photo essay from media company Stuff — opens with a bucolic visual featuring meandering sheep flanked by breathtaking mountains that blur into obscurity.

Soon, more awe-inspiring photos of breathtaking New Zealand farmland appear, accompanied by expressive prose whose tone matches the visuals’ stark beauty.

In this unflinchingly honest photographic essay, Stuff takes the viewer behind the scenes with a day in the life of a high country sheep farmer facing an uncertain future. One stunning photo fades into the next as you scroll through, broken only by the occasional noteworthy quote and accompanying narrative.

Olympic photos: Emotion runs high

This emotionally wrought sports story from NBC begins with a close-up of an anxious Simone Biles, her expression exemplifying the tension and frustration echoed on so many of her fellow athletes’ faces.

The subtitle puts it perfectly: “The agony—and thrill—of competition at the Olympics is written all over their faces.”

Devastation, disappointment, and defeat take centre stage in this piece — but not all the subjects of the photos in this compelling photography essay depict misery. Some of the images, like that taken of the gold medal-winning Russian artistic gymnasts, manage to project the athletes’ joy almost beyond the edges of the screen.

The NBC editors who created this visual story chose to display the series of photos using the entire screen width and limit the copy to simple captions, letting the visuals speak for themselves. The result is a riveting montage of photographs that manage to capture the overarching sentiment of the 2020 Olympic Games.

James Epp: A Twist of the Hand

In A Twist of the Hand , the Museum of Classical Archaeology at the University of Cambridge have produced a gorgeous photo essay. This online art show showcases artist James Epp’s installation, combining photographs of the exhibit with images of museum prints and authentic artefacts.

As you scroll down, close-up shots of the installation make you feel like you’re physically wandering among the ancient sculptures, able to examine hairline spider cracks and tiny divots marking the surface of every antiquated figure. In between the photos—and often flanked by museum prints—are James Epp's musings about what inspired him to create the pieces. It’s an absorbing virtual gallery that will no doubt inspire real life visits to the exhibition.

The Café Racer Revolution

Though it’s a cleverly built piece of interactive content marketing , Honda’s “ Café Racer Revolution ” is also a great photo essay. Alongside information about the latest and greatest motorcycles Honda has to offer, it details the history of the bikers who sought to employ motorcycles (specifically “café racers”) as a way to forge an identity for themselves and project a “statement of individuality.”

Scroll down, and nostalgic black-and-white photos give way to contemporary action shots featuring fully decked-out motorcyclists on various Honda models.

Dynamic photos of bikes rotate them 360 degrees when you mouse over them, and text superimposed over flashy shots rolls smoothly down the screen as you scroll. This photo essay will stir a longing to hit the open road for anyone who has ever dreamed of owning one of Honda’s zippy bikes.

Built to keep Black from white

In Built to keep Black from white , NBC News and BridgeDetroit have built a stunning narrative photo essay that encapsulates the history of Detroit’s Birwood Wall — a literal dividing line intended to separate neighborhoods inhabited by people of different races. 

The piece begins with a brief history of the concrete barrier. Between paragraphs of text, it weaves in quotes from residents who grew up as the wall was erected and a short video. Animated maps highlighting the affected neighborhoods unspool across the screen as you scroll down, accompanied by brief explanations of what the maps represent.

In the series of photographs that follow, contemporary images transition into decades-old shots of the wall when it was newly constructed. This is followed by images of original real estate documents, resident portraits, and additional animated maps — each considering the issue from different angles.

The piece ends with an interactive display of how Detroit’s racial makeup has changed over the past several decades, from majority white to black, and how the wall has impacted the lives of its residents who lived (and died) within its borders.

The story of Black Lives Matter in sport

The BBC pairs illustrations and bold imagery in this photo essay on how athletes participated in the Black Lives Matter movement . At the start, a narrow column of text leads into an iconic image of American football players kneeling during the pre-game national anthem in a solemn protest against police brutality. 

The first excerpt, a summary of Trayvon Martin’s death in 2012, draws you in with piercing prose capped off with photographs that bleed into one another. Every account in the photo essay follows this layout.

WaterAid Climate Stories

Climate change affects everyone on the planet, but some people are feeling the effects more than others. WaterAid’s scrollytelling photo essay illuminates the plight of individuals living in areas where extreme weather conditions — caused by climate change — have drastically impacted the water supply and environment, endangering their livelihoods and ability to survive.

This climate change story starts with an engrossing video that provides an up-close and personal look at the devastation that climate change-induced droughts have wreaked on people and the environment. As you scroll down, images of massively depleted bodies of water with superimposed text and quotes unfold before your eyes. It’s an efficient way to drive home the critical message WaterAid wants to convey: climate change is real, and it’s harming real people.

Each extreme weather story focuses on an individual to help viewers empathise and understand that climate change has real, drastic consequences for millions of people worldwide. The piece ends with a call to action to learn more about and financially support WaterAid’s fight to assist people living in the desperate situations depicted in the essay.

28 Days in Afghanistan

In this piece, Australian photo-journalist Andrew Quilty tells the story of the four weeks he spent in Afghanistan . He captures daily events ranging from the mundane—like a casual visit to his barber—to jarring. More than one photo documents blood-spattered victims of violence.

Viewers must scroll through the piece to follow Andrew’s daily musings and the striking photos that accompany them. His photo essay is a powerful example of how scrollytelling is transforming the art of long-form journalism .

La carrera lunática de Musk y Bezos (Musk and Bezos' lunatic careers)

Billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are angling to conquer the final frontier: space.

El Periódico captures their story via a whimsically illustrated photo essay, filled with neon line drawings and bold photos of the massive spaceships, the hangars that house them, and footprints on the moon. La carrera lunática de Musk y Bezos describes the battle between the two titans’ space companies (Blue Origin and SpaceX) for the honor of partially funding NASA’s next mission to the moon.

As you scroll down, white and fluorescent yellow words on a black background roll smoothly over images. The team at El Periódico slips in stylistic animations to break up the text—such as rocket ships with shimmering “vapour trails”—then ups the ante with a series of moon images that transition into portraits of the 12 U.S. astronauts who visited the celestial body.

The photo essay ends with the question: “Who will be the next to leave their footprints on the dusty lunar soil?” At the time of publishing, NASA had not yet decided between the two companies. (Spoiler alert: SpaceX won .)

Marissa Sapega is a seasoned writer, editor, and digital marketer with a background in web and graphic design.

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The Photo Essay: Give it Your Best Shot

Posted by Matt Brandon | May 19, 2010 | 38 |

Monday we started talking about photo essays. We began by looking at SoundSlides , a great product to use to help you produce engaging photo stories. In fact, Monday’s post marked the beginning of a giveaway that will last throughout this week and culminate on Friday with some lucky person getting a licensed copy of SoundSlides Plus . So, today I want to talk more about the actual essay itself.

However, having a tool to write with does not guarantee the ability to write. Similarly, getting published does not necessarily mean that one can write well. There are plenty of poorly written books out there. But I digress. Let’s discuss the photo essay. The photo essay is not much different from any other written essay or story. It should have a simple but clearly defined flow with a beginning, middle, and end. The objective is to tell a story using a limited number of photos, typically 5 to 35 images. These images must take the viewer on a journey similar to a plot line, all within a period of 3 or 4 minutes. In this post, I aim to provide you with a list of the essential elements of a photo essay or a shot list. While some people may use different names for these elements, the concept is the same.

Not all Photo Stories Are Created Equal

There are various types of photo essays. Some depict a linear event that unfolds over a specific time frame, such as a race or a trip that the photographer covers from start to finish. A great example of this is the essay “ Kingsley’s Crossing. ” Other essays deal with focused topics, such as “A Blind Wine Taster”, or my essay on “ The Last Hat Maker.” Some essays capture events, such as “ Thaipusam” . Regardless of the type of photo essay, it must be filled with photos that work together to tell a story. I always tell my class that each photo must be good enough to stand alone. You cannot have a photo essay with a few great images and the rest filled with mediocrity; it just doesn’t work that way. Each shot should be strong enough to be viewed independently while contributing to the overall excellence of the essay. However, each image must also have its place in the story. Below, we will discuss what that place is.

Before discussing the different types of shots needed in a photo essay, I want to address the essay itself and how to prepare for it. One thing I frequently observe among students who attempt to create a photo story is that they tend to create it on the fly. They go out to shoot during the day and then try to come up with a topic as they go along. That is not the most effective approach. The best thing to do would be to walk around the city or the subject you are interested in photographing while keeping the camera in the bag and simply observe. “Keep your eyeballs peeled,” as my dear old daddy used to say. Look for a theme or story to emerge. Spend time with people and listen to what is important to them, and a story might just emerge. However, this is not to say that a story cannot be an assignment. In fact, that is how most photojournalists work. They are assigned a topic and instructed to cover it photographically. Either way, you must understand what you are shooting before you put the camera to your face, and that requires time and observation.

Another helpful way to approach an essay is to create a shot list. Using the types of shots listed below, think through ideas and concepts that you want to capture photographically. After spending time with the “ Cheese Man of Kashmir, ” I knew there were several shots I had to get. One was a detailed shot of milk being poured, another was a medium shot of Chris working with his Gujjar associates. If you can, create a shot list before you go out. It can be a huge help, but don’t limit yourself to the list. It’s better to have too many shots than not enough.

The Shot List

(As a bonus for you, I have linked every photographic example below to the original New York Times essay. Enjoy!)

1. Hook Shot.

This shot is sometimes called a lead shot. It’s the shot that grabs you or hooks you and draws you into the essay. Sometimes it’s the first shot of the essay; other times it appears somewhere inside the photo essay but is used as the essay’s cover or thumbnail image. It is an image that is often very creative and leaves the viewer wanting more information about the topic. The literary equivalent of a Hook shot is the first few words that grab you in a novel. Remember this sentence? “The great fish moved silently through the night water, propelled by short sweeps of its crescent tail.” – Peter Benchley, Jaws. Those first few words grabbed readers and sucked them in, and they were hooked. The Hook shot should do the same.

“A Withering Harvest in Florida” Photo: Chip Litherland for The New York Times

2.  Establishing Shot.

The establishing shot does pretty much what it sounds like it does. It lays the visual context for the story. It is often a wide shot that shows the setting or the environment where the story takes place, or the character lives or works. The shot often is the very first shot of the essay. If it’s not the first it will be included in one of the first few shots. The literary equivalent of this is usually found on the first page of the novel. It is when the author paints a written description of where things are taking place. ” It was a dark and stormy night…”

“Cairo Aglow at Ramadan” Photo: Shawn Baldwin for The New York Times

3.  Medium Shot.

At this point in the story, momentum is building up. The medium shot serves to inform the viewer about who the characters are and what they are doing. The shot should include both the subject and its surroundings. If your story has people in it, often the shot will have two or three people interacting in some way. You might have an individual working with some equipment or doing a job, but the image should be wide enough to show the environment. It’s not a detail shot.

“The Resurgence of the Hazaras” Photo: Adam Ferguson for The New York Times

4. Detail Shot.

As the name implies the shot has to do with the details. These shots add flavor to the story, almost as the spices does to soup. It is the detail shot that that creates intimacy with the viewer. Can you imagine a story where characters walk through nondescript hallways and streets? It would leave readers without any sense of time or place. And so it is with a detail shot in a photo essay, it gives our viewers a sense of place. A detail shot anchors the story.

“High-Speed Connections” Photo: Laura Pedrick for The New York Tim

5.  Portrait shot.

The “portrait” shot is usually a tight shot of a person’s face, but it can also be a tight environmental portrait that shows the person in their surroundings. This shot is essential because it puts a face to the characters in the story, making it more personal and relatable to the viewer. Even if your subject is not a person, a portrait shot can still be important. For example, if you were doing a story on a racehorse, you would still want to include a portrait shot of the horse

“In South Africa, a Resurfacing of Violence” Photo: Robin Hammond for The New York Times

6. The Gesture.

Others have referred to this shot as the Exchange Shot, and while I like that title, I prefer to use the word “gesture” because it conveys more than just an exchange. This type of shot can feature someone shooting basketballs or running, but it often involves interaction between two subjects in the story. There’s typically movement and some sort of interchange between the subjects. By including this shot in the essay, we prevent it from becoming a series of portraits. The gesture shot allows us to experience the story’s action and movement.

“A ‘Yooper’ in the Abortion Fight” Photo: Sally Ryan for The New York Times

7.  Closure.

With the exception of the establishing shot, which should always come at the beginning of a photo essay, the only other shot that has a specific place within the essay is the closure. As the name implies, it is the final shot that brings things to a close. It’s the “ride off into the sunset” moment. This shot provides a resolution for the story and brings it to a conclusion.

“Remembering Hardware” Photo: Ruth Fremson/The New York Times

Contrary to what some people may believe, a photo essay does not have to include every one of these shots. While it’s advisable to have most of them, there are no hard and fast rules. It’s possible to create an effective photo essay without a detail shot or a gesture shot, though having more of these shots can increase the chances of telling a compelling story. However, it’s important to remember that the ultimate goal is to tell a story, not to rigidly follow a process. So don’t be afraid to break the rules. Think through your storyline, take this list with you, and go out and shoot. The more you practice, the better you’ll become.

About The Author

Matt Brandon

Matt is a Malaysia based assignment photographer. Well known as a photographer and international workshop instructor, Matt’s images have been used by business and organizations around the globe. Matt is also a Fujifilm Malaysia brand ambassador. Matt is a contributor to National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller and other major publications.

38 Comments

Thanks for this post, Matt. There is so much useful information here and I was especially encouraged to see you to speak to things that I've been learning lately. As Ray K. mentioned in his tweet, this is a very timely post.

Thank you Sabrina. I am glad you found it helpful. It's basic, but stuff we can over look at times.

Great article. I never realize some of the the “segments” of an essay exist.

Thanks Matt It makes sense – and is useful

nice article, thanks for sharing your ideas! looking forward to see more useful stuff…

Matt, thanks for such a great post. I am having to re-learn the basic tenets of story-telling as I start to form ideas for photographic projects. Yours was such a timely post as I have a road trip coming up starting on Memorial Day weekend that will have plenty of opportunities for stories. I just wanted to mention also that at its most basic any story, visual or written, should have a defined begging, middle and end – an arc.

How about a follow up post with example? Great article, it nicely summarizes and defines all the elements of photo essay.

Matt, this is a fantastic post. Really useful advice!

Hey Matt, this is really a very interesting post! Thank you!

Not sure I know what you would like. I thought I gave you examples though out the post. You can find most of my essays and some from people I have coached HERE .

I am glad this post scratched an itch.

Yes, this is what I meant- I wanted to look through some examples of photo essays. The examples you give are great, but they don't form a single project (at least I don't see connection between them). I wanted to see how the pieces form the finished essay. Thanks.

Actually the essays Kingsley’s Crossing, Blind Wine Taster , A Corner Druggist or my essays The Last Hat Maker and Thaipusam all listed above are good examples. Also, Check out today's post called Lumen Dei Trophies: Examples of SoundSlides by our Students .

This is a very good website ! Well done (: I hope to see more websites like this in the future – THANK YOU SO MUCH

Come on! this is useless! regards Jack

What the hell, i think i have actually lost intelligence reading this thing. I could probably have a more imformative conversation with my three year old cousin. At least he could make something more interesting!!!

This is absolute rubbish!!!!!

Hmm, Jack and Joel your comments sounds a little like Spam. So what was the issue you had with this post?

Excellent presentation. Concise and informative and providing much food for thought.

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Thank you Matt, I really enjoyed this article, as well as your site in general! Keep up the good work helping us young photographers. 🙂

Excellent and to the point article. Precisely what I was looking for…Thank you very much Matt for helping us, young Padawans…

Great information thanks for sharing this with us.In fact in all posts of this blog their is something to learn. Preliminary Research Writing | Analyzing Collected Material your work is very good and i appreciate your work and hopping for some more informative posts. Again thanks

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• 16 Unmissable Travel Photography Resources for Photographers - [...] Allen’s article is one of the best I have come across about improving your travel photos. The Photo Essay…
• Modesta aproximación al "storytelling" | Deepwildphoto - [...] EOS 5D MkII y con un objetivo Canon 24-70 f/2,8 L. Os dejo algunos enlaces relacionados como este post de…
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• Blog Prompt #5: Image analysis | Composing Digital Media: DIY Archives - […] Drawing upon the readings for this week (“Top 10 Photography Composition Rules” and “The Photo Essay: Give It Your Best Shot”),…
• Blog Prompt #4: Image Analysis | ComposeDigital: The Citizen Archive - […] analysis. Drawing upon the readings for this week (“Top 10 Photography Composition Rules” and “The Photo Essay: Give It Your Best…
• Assignment 5: shooting plan | Rob Townsend - […] http://www.hebervega.com/2010/02/09/inside-photo-essay/ – accessed 28th February 2014 2. http://www.thedigitaltrekker.com/2010/05/the-photo-essay-give-it-your-best-shot/ – accessed 28th February 2014 3. http://photophilanthropy.org/award/photo-essay-tips/ – […]
• Research – constructing a successful narrative picture essay | My OCA Learning Log - […] http://www.thedigitaltrekker.com/2010/05/the-photo-essay-give-it-your-best-shot/ [accessed 01 April 2014] […]
• Resources – Narrative and Illustration | The Art of Photography - […] Thedigitaltrekker   […]
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• Due Wednesday 11/15: VIDEO – Writing for Digital Environments - […] Read:“Top 10 Photography Composition Rules” and “The Photo Essay: Give It Your Best Shot” […]

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Membuat Foto Cerita (Photo story / essay)

by   ENCHE TJIN

Banyak orang bisa menulis, tapi sedikit yang bisa mengarang, banyak orang yang bisa motret, tapi jarang yang bisa membuat foto yang bercerita. Fotografi adalah salah satu media untuk bercerita yang sangat baik. Seringkali, fotografi yang baik dapat menggugah perasaan dibandingkan dengan tulisan semata. Mampu membuat foto yang bercerita merupakan suatu hal yang baik untuk mendapatkan pekerjaan di bidang fotografi terutama fotojurnalisme.

Dalam mengunakan fotografi untuk bercerita, biasanya fotografer mengunakan beberapa foto. Karena jarang satu foto dapat menceritakan satu kisah secara keseluruhan. Setelah foto terpilih, kita dapat menyusun sedemikian rupa sehingga pemirsa dapat melihat inti dan detail dari cerita secara lengkap.

Untuk membuat rangkaian foto bercerita (photo story) yang bagus, kita tidak hanya membutuhkan pengetahuan bagaimana membuat foto yg baik, tapi juga ketrampilan untuk bercerita. Kita membutuhkan ide/topik, membuat perencanaan. Selain itu kita membutuhkan kerjasama antara otak, mata dan hati. Dengan kerjasama antara ketiganya dengan baik, kita bisa mengetahui kapan saat dan dimana saat yang tepat untuk membuat foto.

Seringkali, rangkaian foto tersebut tidak hanya dibuat dalam satu hari saja, tapi berhari-hari di tempat yang berbeda-beda. Jika yang diceritakan melibatkan orang, maka hubungan antara fotografer dengan subjek foto juga harus baik. Sikap yang tidak baik atau kata-kata yang salah bisa menghambat kita untuk mendapatkan foto yang bagus.

Meskipun terdiri dari beberapa foto, tapi rangkaian photo story memiliki benang merah yang mengkaitkan antara satu foto dengan yang lainnya. Mengkaitkan foto bisa melalui subjek foto yang sama, gaya foto atau warna, komposisi, tempat dan topik yang sama.

Ada dua istilah yang sering membingungkan yaitu istilah photo essay dan photo story/picture story

Perbedaan singkatnya adalah:

• Photo Essay – menceritakan sebuah kisah, dan biasanya bertujuan sesuatu misalnya mengingatkan pemirsa akan bahaya narkoba, menceritakan pentingnya pelestarian lingkungan dan lain-lain. Foto-foto bisa dibuat di tempat dan dengan subjek foto yang berbeda-beda tapi masih satu topik yang sama.
• Photo story/picture story – Bercerita tentang seseorang, tempat atau situasi, ada bagian awal, tengah dan akhirnya. Misalnya cerita tentang kehidupan seorang petani, dokter, dll.

Meskipun foto yang dibuat sebenarnya bebas-bebas saja, tapi untuk pemula atau fotografer yang menyukai struktur, ada beberapa jenis foto yang biasanya ada dalam rangkaian photo story/essay:

• Establishing shot : Biasanya menggambarkan tempat/setting tempat kejadian, biasanya mengunakan lensa wide angle untuk memberikan kesan tiga dimensi, tapi terkadang, lensa tele juga digunakan.
• Detail shot : Foto detail benda atau bagian dari orang yang penting, misalnya cincin kawin atau close-up air mata / bibir seseorang, biasanya lensa makro atau telefoto digunakan.
• Interaction shot : Berisi interaksi dari dua orang atau lebih
• Climax : Sebuah foto yang menggambarkan puncak dari sebuah acara
• Closer/Clincher : Foto yang menutup cerita. Biasanya meninggalkan kesan, pesan, inspirasi atau motivasi

Lima langkah membuat photo story/essay:

• Tentukan topik misalnya cerita kegiatan seseorang selama sehari, atau esai tentang lingkungan hidup yang tercemar
• Riset – Cari informasi tentang topik yang dipilih
• Rencanakan foto-foto yang akan diambil (pemandangan, karakter/portrait, seni budaya, dll)
• Membuat foto di lokasi dan waktu yang telah direncanakan. Biasanya langkah ini yang paling banyak memakan waktu
• Editing dan pemilihan foto
• Tata letak/layout foto yang dipilih. Semakin penting fotonya semakin besar ukurannya relatif dengan foto yang lain

Referensi dan contoh foto yang bercerita:

• Koleksi photo essay  berita terbaru dari Majalah Time
• Koleksi photo essay  dari Koran New York Times
• Salah satu photo story pertama dari majalah LIFE “ Dokter Desa “
• Penjelasan  perbedaan photo essay dan photo story  oleh Michael Davis
• Contoh dan  presentasi photo essay
• Langkah dan tip membuat  photo essay
• Contoh-contoh photo essay dari  Fotokita

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Tidak hanya tulisan yang mampu bercerita, bingkai dalam sebuah potret foto pun dapat demikian. Bahkan, dalam beberapa jepretan foto dapat merangkai sebuah cerita yang terdapat pesan di dalamnya tanpa perlu diberi tulisan atau takarir. Esai foto ( photo essay ) dan photo story jawabannya. Keduanya memang tampak sama karena merupakan foto seri, namun tentu ada perbedaan di dalamnya.  Dalam dunia fotografi dan jurnalistik, kerap dikenal istilah photo essay dan photo story . Untuk menggambarkan suasana atau pesan, foto terkadang dapat lebih menggugah dalam mengutarakan cerita ketimbang tulisan. Para fotografer tentu tak hanya menggunakan satu foto saja, namun beberapa jepret foto karena satu foto belum tentu dapat menyampaikan isi pesannya secara luas. Untuk membedakan keduanya, ada beberapa aspek yang perlu diketahui. Apa saja? 

Photo Essay

• Dibuat dari beberapa jepret foto yang menjadi series dengan mengangkat tema atau topik tertentu, misalnya kemiskinan, narkoba, hingga bencana. 
• Memberikan gambaran yang detail dari jepretan foto. 
• Lokasi foto umumnya berbeda-beda, namun masih dalam topik yang sama. Misalnya suatu foto esai ingin menggambarkan kemiskinan di daerah kumuh. Maka lokasi yang diambil bisa berasal dari kawasan kumuh kota A, daerah B, atau tempat lainnya. 
• Dapat membangkitkan rasa emosi terutama jika topik yang diambil mengangkat kisah humanis. 

Photo Story 

• Menceritakan tentang suatu hal, seperti tempat atau kejadian dengan dibuat dari bagian awal, tengah, hingga akhir. 
• Dalam foto story, yang difokuskan adalah cerita atau kisah dari objek yang dijepret. 
• Bersifat kronologis. 
• Terlihat seperti foto dokumenter dari suatu objek. 
• Fokus pada satu objek di satu lokasi. Jika dalam foto essay terdapat beberapa lokasi berbeda namun dalam satu topik yang sama, maka dalam foto story hanya ada 1 tempat atau lokasi namun diceritakan secara mendetail.

Dalam membuat photo story maupun photo essay , tentu teknis pengambilan foto juga perlu diperhatikan. Terutama bagi pemula yang ingin mencoba membuat foto seri ini. Adapun beberapa teknis foto yang dapat dicoba.

• Establishing shot : Menggambarkan tempat dari kejadian. Karena umumnya menggunakan lensa wide angle , maka foto dari teknis ini umumnya digunakan untuk membuka cerita pada photo essay dan photo story . 
• Detail shot dan close up : Foto yang menggambarkan detail dari objek yang ingin diceritakan. Misalnya bagian dari misalnya cincin kawin saat foto pernikahan atau foto air mata. 
• Interaction shoot atau relationship : Yaitu bingkai foto yang menggambarkan suatu hubungan atau interaksi yang terjadi antara dua orang atau lebih. Dalam foto ini hubungan yang digambarkan bisa berupa hubungan positif seperti berpelukan atau negatif seperti bertengkar. 
• Climax : Yakni suatu foto yang menggambarkan puncak dari suatu kejadian atau momen. 
• Portraits : Penggambaran ekspresi dari objek yang dijepret. Angle yang digunakan biasanya adalah frame medium dan tidak sampai close up . 
• Closer/Clinche r: Foto yang biasanya digunakan untuk menutup cerita. Digambarkan untuk memberikan inspirasi atau motivasi. 

Berikut salah satu contoh photo story yang diambil di Terminal Joyoboyo Surabaya. 

Dalam serti foto tersebut, tidak hanya terdapat foto namun juga ada narasi yang turut mengiringi penjelasan dan isi pesan yang ingin disampaikan. Foto tersebut diambil di satu lokasi dengan beberapa tempat yang berbeda namun tetap memberikan pesan yang akan disampaikan. Beberapa cara yang dapat dicoba untuk membuat foto esai menjadi lebih mudah. 

• Menentukan topik foto yang ingin dibuat. 
• Riset. Mencari tahu tentang lokasi hingga semua keperluan untuk foto. 
• Merencanakan foto yang akan diambil. Misalnya, ingin membuat foto yang tersusun dari portrait , close up , wide angle , dan lainnya. 
• Eksekusi. Jika semua sudah terencana dengan baik, maka langkah selanjutnya adalah segera eksekusi foto yang ada di lapangan. 
• Pilah dan sunting. Jika foto sudah terkumpul, maka foto perlu dikurasi untuk selanjutnya disunting agar terlihat lebih menarik. 
• Buat layout . Jika foto yang diinginkan sudah ada, maka perlu dibuat layout agar pesan yang disampaikan atau fokus dari pesan foto bisa dapat mudah diterima. 

Adapun juga metode EDFAT yang dapat dicoba, yakni: 

• Entire : Yakni sebuah foto dari establish shot yang digunakan untuk menggambarkan keseluruhan dari kejadian yang ada dalam foto. 
• Detail : Penggambaran detail dan hal-hal rinci dari objek yang diangkat. 
• Frame : Pembingkaian dari foto yang diambil. Sehingga orang yang melihat akan langsung tertuju pada point of interest dari foto. 
• Angle : Yakni pengambilan foto dari sudut tertentu agar foto yang dihasilkan terlihat lebih menarik dan dapat membangun cerita yang kuat. 
• Time : Waktu pengambilan objek foto, yang mana biasanya tidak terjadi dalam dua kali. 

Tertarik untuk bercerita dengan photo story atau photo essay ?

Essay photo vs photo story

Essay photo apakah itu apa bedanya dengan photo story.

by Herry tjiang

Untuk mengetahui perbedaanya tentunya kita haru tahu apa arti dan definisi dari masing masing istilah tersebut sehingga kita dapat menjelaskan perbedaannya.

Definisi Essay Photo adalah :

Foto essay adalah sebuah bentuk storytelling visual yang menggunakan kumpulan foto untuk menyampaikan pesan atau cerita. Foto essay biasanya terdiri dari serangkaian foto yang diambil oleh seorang fotografer dan disusun dalam urutan tertentu untuk membentuk narasi yang menyentuh hati. Setiap foto dalam essay biasanya memiliki nilai sendiri-sendiri dan saling terhubung satu sama lain. Foto essay seringkali digunakan oleh jurnalis, fotografer, dan seniman untuk menyampaikan kisah-kisah kompleks atau isu-isu sosial yang rumit dengan cara yang lebih kuat dan efektif.

Ciri ciri photo Essay

1 . Series photo yang terdiri dari lebih dari 1 photo yang menceritakan secara khusus tentang topik bahasan yang akan diangkat seperti kemiskinan, narkoba, pengungsi, banjir dll.

2. Essay photo lebih mementingkan photo, angle yang menarik, moment yang menarik dibanding ke ceritanya atau dengan foto yang ada kita sudah dapat mendapatkan cerita sehingga teks hanya untuk memperkuat foto tersebut.

3. Menggambarkan secara detail tentang kondisi seperti (kenyamanan atau satu topik saja)

4. Lebih kearah rasa seperti rasa nyaman, rasa sakit, rasa terkucilkan, rasa marah, rasa kemewahan

5. Foto dapat dari berbagai tempat contohnya cerita tentang kemiskinan di kota A, Kota B, Kota C

Photo Essay ini bisa dibagi menjadi dua Naratif dan deskriptif

Photo Essay Naratif : 

Photo essay naratif adalah sebuah bentuk foto essay yang memiliki narasi yang kuat dan jelas. Dalam photo essay naratif, serangkaian foto disusun dalam urutan tertentu untuk menciptakan sebuah cerita yang menyentuh hati dan berdampak. Setiap foto dalam essay memiliki nilai yang berarti dan membantu memperkuat cerita secara keseluruhan.

Untuk membuat photo essay naratif yang sukses, seorang fotografer harus merencanakan secara matang dan memiliki pemahaman yang baik tentang cerita atau pesan yang ingin disampaikan. Setiap foto harus dipilih dengan hati-hati dan disusun dalam urutan yang tepat untuk menciptakan sebuah narasi yang terstruktur dan mudah dipahami.

Photo essay naratif seringkali digunakan oleh fotografer dan jurnalis untuk menyampaikan kisah-kisah pribadi atau isu-isu sosial dan politik yang kompleks. Dengan menggunakan foto-foto yang kuat dan narasi yang baik, photo essay naratif dapat membawa perhatian terhadap isu-isu penting dan mempengaruhi opini publik.

Foto naratif adalah foto yang dirancang untuk menceritakan sebuah cerita atau menyampaikan pesan tertentu melalui penggunaan komposisi, subjek, dan elemen visual lainnya. Foto naratif sering kali menampilkan adegan atau momen tertentu yang mengandung konflik, emosi, atau perubahan. Foto-foto ini dapat menggambarkan urutan peristiwa atau menggambarkan karakter dan hubungan di antara mereka. Tujuan dari foto naratif adalah untuk menangkap perhatian penonton, menghidupkan cerita, dan memicu imajinasi mereka untuk mengisi detail yang mungkin tidak terlihat secara langsung.

Photo Essay deskriptif : 

Photo essay deskriptif adalah sebuah bentuk foto essay yang bertujuan untuk menggambarkan suatu objek, tempat, atau situasi dengan detail yang lengkap dan akurat,fokus pada estetika visual, detail, tekstur, warna, dan bentuk subjek yang ditampilkan. Foto-foto dalam essay ini biasanya disusun dalam urutan yang logis dan diberi keterangan yang memberikan informasi tambahan tentang objek atau situasi yang diabadikan dalam foto.  Tujuannya adalah untuk menggambarkan secara akurat dan rinci objek atau subjek tersebut sehingga penonton dapat melihatnya dengan jelas dan mendapatkan pemahaman yang mendalam tentang karakteristik fisik atau visualnya.

Untuk membuat photo essay deskriptif yang efektif, seorang fotografer harus memiliki pemahaman yang baik tentang objek atau situasi yang ingin digambarkan. Hal ini bisa dilakukan dengan melakukan riset terlebih dahulu dan melakukan pengamatan langsung di lokasi yang akan difoto.

Dalam photo essay deskriptif, setiap foto harus menggambarkan bagian atau aspek yang spesifik dari objek atau situasi yang diabadikan. Foto-foto tersebut harus memberikan detail yang cukup dan diberi keterangan yang menjelaskan lebih lanjut tentang apa yang terlihat pada foto.

Photo essay deskriptif seringkali digunakan oleh pelancong, fotografer arsitektur, dan jurnalis untuk memperlihatkan keindahan dan karakteristik dari suatu tempat atau objek. Dengan menggunakan foto-foto yang detail dan keterangan yang baik, photo essay deskriptif dapat memberikan pengalaman visual yang menarik bagi para pembaca atau penonton.

Photo essay dapat dibagi menjadi beberapa kategori berdasarkan jenisnya:

• Visual Narrative Essay: Jenis photo essay ini berfokus pada narasi visual, di mana sejumlah foto disusun secara kronologis atau berdasarkan tema tertentu untuk menceritakan sebuah cerita atau pesan.
• Thematic Essay: Jenis photo essay ini lebih fokus pada tema atau topik tertentu, seperti lingkungan, keanekaragaman budaya, atau isu sosial. Thematic essay biasanya terdiri dari kumpulan foto yang terkait dengan tema atau topik tersebut, dan disusun dengan urutan yang berarti untuk menciptakan kesan yang kuat dan terorganisir.
• Portrait Essay: Jenis photo essay ini menggambarkan seseorang atau sekelompok orang, biasanya dengan tujuan untuk mengungkapkan kepribadian, karakteristik, dan emosi subjek yang difoto.
• Fine Art Essay: Jenis photo essay ini dihasilkan dari sudut pandang seni dan estetika, di mana fotografer mengeksplorasi teknik fotografi dan gaya kreatif mereka untuk menciptakan karya seni visual yang menarik.
• Event Essay: Jenis photo essay ini menggambarkan acara tertentu atau peristiwa penting, seperti konser musik, pernikahan, atau pertunjukan seni.
• Travel Essay: Jenis photo essay ini menggambarkan tempat dan budaya dari suatu tempat yang dikunjungi oleh fotografer, dengan tujuan untuk menginspirasi orang untuk berpetualang dan mengalami tempat-tempat baru.
• Documentary Essay: Jenis photo essay ini bertujuan untuk merekam dan mengungkapkan kehidupan nyata dan peristiwa sosial-politik dalam masyarakat, seringkali digunakan oleh jurnalis untuk membawa perhatian terhadap isu-isu penting dan kontroversial.

Pembagian jenis-jenis photo essay ini membantu fotografer untuk memilih dan mengembangkan tema, gaya, dan teknik yang sesuai dengan tujuan dan pesan yang ingin disampaikan melalui karya mereka.

Definisi Photo Story adalah :

Foto story adalah rangkaian foto yang digunakan untuk menceritakan sebuah kisah atau cerita. Seperti halnya foto essay, foto story juga terdiri dari beberapa foto yang diorganisir dan diatur dengan urutan tertentu untuk membangun suatu narasi. Namun, perbedaan utama antara foto story dan foto essay adalah bahwa foto story lebih fokus pada cerita yang ditampilkan melalui gambar, sedangkan foto essay lebih fokus pada presentasi informasi melalui gambar.

Foto story biasanya digunakan dalam bidang jurnalistik atau dokumenter untuk membantu memvisualisasikan sebuah kisah atau berita. Foto story juga dapat digunakan sebagai alat storytelling dalam bidang seni, seperti fotografi atau sinematografi, untuk menghasilkan karya yang bermakna dan menginspirasi.

Ciri Ciri photo Story :

1. Series photo yang terdiri dari lebih dari 1 photo yang mencertiakan atau bercerita tentang suatu kejadian dimana ada awalan penjelasan, cerita dan penutup.

2. Photo story lebih mementingkan cerita dari suatu kejadian, foto hanya membantu memberikan keterangan

3. Menceritakan proses dari awal sampai akhir

4. Lebih kearah merekam secara documenter kejadian per kejadian

5. Foto lebih terarah pada satu lokasi atau daerah saja menceritakan dari awal sampai akhir tidak berpindah pindah tempat contoh kemiskinan di kota A sepeti apa tanpa digabungkan di kota B atau kota lainnya.

Photo story dapat dibagi menjadi beberapa kategori berdasarkan jenisnya:

• Narrative Photo Story: Jenis photo story ini fokus pada cerita atau narasi yang ingin disampaikan melalui serangkaian foto yang diambil dalam urutan tertentu. Setiap foto dalam narrative photo story memiliki peran khusus dalam menceritakan cerita dan menyampaikan pesan yang ingin disampaikan.
• Lifestyle Photo Story: Jenis photo story ini menggambarkan kehidupan sehari-hari seseorang atau sekelompok orang, seringkali terkait dengan kegiatan atau hobi tertentu. Lifestyle photo story bertujuan untuk memberikan gambaran tentang gaya hidup dan karakteristik subjek yang difoto.
• Event Photo Story: Jenis photo story ini menggambarkan acara atau kegiatan tertentu, seperti konser musik, pertandingan olahraga, atau pernikahan. Event photo story biasanya mencakup foto-foto yang menunjukkan suasana, suasana hati, dan momen penting selama acara berlangsung.
• Travel Photo Story: Jenis photo story ini menggambarkan petualangan atau perjalanan ke tempat baru. Travel photo story dapat mencakup foto-foto pemandangan alam, kebudayaan lokal, dan momen penting selama perjalanan.
• Social Documentary Photo Story: Jenis photo story ini bertujuan untuk mengungkapkan kehidupan nyata dan isu-isu sosial-politik dalam masyarakat. Social documentary photo story seringkali digunakan oleh jurnalis atau fotografer yang ingin membawa perhatian terhadap isu-isu penting dan kontroversial.

Pembagian jenis-jenis photo story ini membantu fotografer untuk memilih dan mengembangkan tema, gaya, dan teknik yang sesuai dengan tujuan dan pesan yang ingin disampaikan melalui karya mereka.

Bisa juga Essay photo adalah bagian dari Photo story  tentunya untuk membuat photo essay ataupun photo story diperlukan beberapa hal seperti :

1. Riset , mencari informasi yang lengkap dan dapat dipertanggung jawabkan karena ini merupakan kejadian nyata bukan dibuat buat atau direkayasa

2. Perencanaan foto baik moment yang akan terjadi maupun yang belum terjadi atau kejadian yang sering terjadi sehingga kita bisa mendapatkan angle yang berbeda jangan lupakan pendekatan dengan object yang akan diambil sehingga semua terlihat natural tanpa dibuat buat juga hal yang tidak kalah pentingnya adalah  perizinan ataupun hal hal lainnya seperti lokasi yang sulit, waktu , cuaca dll.

3.  Pemotretan jika foto bisa diambil siapkan selalu camera anda sebagai stok photo

4.  Pemilihan atau mensortiran foto foto tentunya harus diperhatikan etika dalam memotret jangan sampai melanggar asusila , rasis ataupun melanggar hukum

5. Layout Setelah semua dikerjakan hal terakir adalah melayout gambar dan tulisan sehingga foto dapat bercerita dan bermakna.

Foto seperti apakah untuk mendapatkan  photo story ataupun essay photo adalah :

1.  Foto Pembuka yang sering juga disebut establishing shot atau scene setter

2. Foto Isi bisa menggambil hal hal seperti , Detail , potrait, action , interaction, relationship, atau hal hal yang menarik didalam moment tersebut

3. Foto Penutup bisa juga disebut signature image

Contoh Photo story gempa nepal (new york times) photo by Daniel Berehulak 

Essay photo , cerita tentang dinasty kaya raya “Bling ” di china dan gaya hidupnya 

Lima langkah  untuk membuat foto stories atau essay .

Langkah ini akan membantu teman teman untuk membuat foto stories atau essay itu sendiri memulai mengambil foto foto seperti dibawah ini

• Establishing shot : Biasanya menggambarkan tempat/setting tempat kejadian, biasanya mengunakan lensa wide angle untuk memberikan kesan tiga dimensi, tapi terkadang, lensa tele juga digunakan.
• Detail shot : Foto detail benda atau bagian dari orang yang penting, misalnya cincin kawin atau close-up air mata / bibir seseorang, biasanya lensa makro atau telefoto digunakan.
• Interaction shot : Berisi interaksi dari dua orang atau lebih
• Climax : Sebuah foto yang menggambarkan puncak dari sebuah acara
• Closer/Clincher : Foto yang menutup cerita. Biasanya meninggalkan kesan, pesan, inspirasi atau motivasi

Ditulis oleh

Herry Tjiang Pengajar dan praktisi  foto di www.jsp.co.id

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• Photojournalism Links

The 10 Best Photo Essays of the Month

This month’s Photojournalism Links collection highlights 10 excellent photo essays from across the world, including Tomas Munita ‘s photographs from Gaza and Israel, made on assignment for the New York Times . The work, coinciding with the first anniversary of last year’s 50 day war between Israel and Palestinian militant groups, consists of eight innovative stop-motion-sequences which take us to the streets, hospitals, and homes on both sides of the conflict, and provide an immersive glimpse of how the two groups of communities are coping, one year after.

Tomas Munita: Walking in War’s Path (The New York Times )

Brent Stirton: Tracking Ivory: Terror in Africa | Ivory’s Human Toll (National Geographic) Two strong sets of images for National Geographic magazine’s latest cover story.

Lynsey Addario: Inside the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Diamond Mines (TIME LightBox) Terrific set of images looking at Congo’s diamond mining communities.

Andres Kudacki: Spain’s Housing Crisis (TIME LightBox) Powerful three-year project on the country’s home evictions, now on show at Visa pour l’Image photojournalism festival.

Mary Ellen Mark: New Orleans (CNN Money) The legendary photographer’s final assignment, done ahead of Hurricane Katrina’s 10th anniversary.

Daniel Etter: Hands Across Water (Al Jazeera America) Moving series on a small Sea-Watch ship, with a rotating crew of just eight volunteers, trying to save refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean.

Sergey Ponomarev: On Island of Lesbos, a Microcosm of Greece’s Other Crisis: Migrants (The New York Times ) Dramatic photographs of refugees and migrants arriving to the Greek island.

Allison Joyce: Child Marriage Bangladesh (International Business Times) Heartbreaking pictures of a 15-year-old Bangladeshi girl’s wedding | See also Joyce’s other Bangladeshi child marriage series at Mashable .

Andrea Bruce: Romania’s Disappearing Girls (Al Jazeera America) The Noor photographer’s work shows how poverty and desperation drive Romanian girls into the arms of sex traffickers.

Matt Black: Geography of Poverty: Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 (MSNBC) Second and third chapters of the Magnum photographer’s ambitious project mapping poverty around the U.S.

Mikko Takkunen is an Associate Photo Editor at TIME. Follow him on Twitter @photojournalism .

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