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Cara Membuat Esai Foto: Panduan Langkah-demi-Langkah Dengan Contoh

Horoskop anda untuk besok.

Esai foto menceritakan sebuah kisah dalam gambar, dan ada banyak cara berbeda untuk menata esai foto Anda sendiri. Dengan berbagai topik untuk dijelajahi, esai foto dapat menggugah pikiran, emosional, lucu, meresahkan, atau semua hal di atas, tetapi kebanyakan, mereka harus tak terlupakan.

Belajar dari yang terbaik

Langsung ke bagian to, apa itu esai foto, 4 contoh esai foto, 4 tips membuat esai foto, cara membuat esai foto dalam 7 langkah, ingin belajar lebih banyak tentang fotografi.

Annie membawa Anda ke studionya dan ke pemotretannya untuk mengajari Anda semua yang dia ketahui tentang potret dan bercerita melalui gambar.

Esai fotografi adalah bentuk visual storytelling, cara untuk menyajikan narasi melalui serangkaian gambar. Esai foto yang bagus itu kuat, mampu membangkitkan emosi dan pemahaman tanpa menggunakan kata-kata. Esai foto menyampaikan cerita menggunakan serangkaian foto dan membawa pemirsa sepanjang perjalanan naratif Anda.

Ada banyak ide esai foto menarik yang menawarkan jalan tak berujung untuk menceritakan kisah foto yang kuat. Beberapa contoh area yang dapat Anda liput adalah:

• Esai foto sehari-hari : Jenis esai foto ini menceritakan kisah sehari dalam kehidupan subjek tertentu. Mereka dapat memamerkan karir seorang petani yang sibuk atau seniman yang berjuang, menangkap tugas sehari-hari orang tua dan waktu bermain dengan anak-anak mereka, atau mengenang rutinitas seorang atlet sekolah menengah bintang. Serangkaian foto sehari-hari dapat menggugah emosi, memberi pemirsa pandangan sekilas tentang dunia manusia lain.
• Esai foto situs bersejarah : Memotret tempat bersejarah menawarkan berbagai perspektif yang berbeda—penggunaan sudut, kedalaman, dan pencahayaan yang unik . Penggunaan drone dan pantulan juga berguna dalam pencarian Anda untuk menemukan titik pandang yang ideal dan menampilkan berbagai pemandangan dari subjek yang sama.
• Esai foto di balik layar : Esai foto di balik layar adalah cara yang bagus untuk mengabadikan peristiwa dari awal hingga akhir. Dengan jenis cerita foto ini, Anda dapat melihat bagian kerja dari sebuah produksi dan bagaimana semuanya bergerak bersama secara harmonis.
• Esai foto acara lokal : Acara lokal seperti penggalangan dana, pertunjukan seni, atau festival adalah tempat yang bagus untuk mendokumentasikan proyek fotografi. Foto candid orang yang sedang bekerja, tampil, atau sedang menikmati pemandangan dapat disusun menjadi esai foto bersama dengan objek latar belakang untuk membantu melukis pemandangan.

Fotografi kreatif bisa menyenangkan, sentimental, membuka mata, atau menyayat hati. Itu bisa mengungkap kebenaran atau menanamkan rasa harapan. Dengan begitu banyak kemungkinan untuk membagikan esai foto yang bagus, penting untuk mengingat tip berikut:

• Lakukan riset Anda . Mungkin ada banyak jenis topik esai foto yang tersedia, tetapi itu tidak berarti ide spesifik Anda belum ditangani oleh fotografer profesional. Cari esai foto terbaik yang telah dilakukan pada topik Anda untuk memastikan narasi dapat dieksekusi dengan cara baru dan menarik.
• Ikuti nalurimu . Ambil foto semuanya. Overshooting dapat membantu untuk foto jurnalistik. Anda tidak pernah tahu apa yang Anda butuhkan, jadi semakin banyak cakupan yang Anda miliki, semakin baik.
• Hanya gunakan gambar terbaik . Dari foto utama hingga foto akhir, Anda membuat cerita yang jelas secara visual. Namun, jika Anda menggunakan terlalu banyak gambar, Anda berisiko mengurangi dampak pesan Anda. Hanya sertakan foto utama yang diperlukan.
• Berpikiran terbuka . Proyek Anda mungkin berkembang melewati konsep awalnya, dan tidak apa-apa. Terkadang esai foto berkembang secara organik, dan tugas Anda sebagai jurnalis foto adalah mengekstrak narasi yang tepat dari gambar yang Anda ambil—meskipun itu bukan ide aslinya.

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Sebelum Anda mulai, pikirkan pertanyaan-pertanyaan ini: Bagaimana Anda akan mewujudkan semuanya? Apa masalah anggaran dan jadwal yang harus Anda atasi agar tugas tersebut berhasil? Setelah Anda memiliki jawaban tersebut, Anda dapat mulai mengerjakan esai foto Anda sendiri. Berikut cara melakukannya:

• Ceritakan kisah yang beragam dan percaya diri . Ketahui apa yang Anda potret dan mengapa. Penting untuk mengetahui apa pesan Anda dan memotret dengan tujuan.
• Pastikan Anda memiliki berbagai macam gambar . Mendapatkan banyak bidikan selama pemotretan Anda dapat memastikan Anda telah menutupi basis Anda. Anda mungkin membutuhkan sudut yang lebih lebar, bidikan detail close-up , atau pencahayaan yang berbeda—Anda bahkan dapat memutuskan untuk mengarahkan esai foto Anda ke arah lain sama sekali. Dengan banyak koleksi gambar untuk dipilih, memotret semuanya dapat memberi Anda banyak pilihan saat menyusun rangkaian foto Anda.
• Jadilah editor foto yang kejam . Proses pengeditan Anda harus tumpul. Jika bidikan itu indah tetapi tidak akan berhasil dalam esai Anda, jangan gunakan itu. Namun, jangan mengedit gambar apa pun pada hari yang sama saat Anda memotret; akan lebih mudah untuk menjadi objektif jika Anda membiarkan sedikit waktu berlalu antara pemotretan dan pengeditan. Pelajari tips mengedit foto Jimmy Chin di sini .
• Pilih 10 gambar teratas Anda . Setelah beberapa hari berlalu, pilih 100 foto terbaik dari pemotretan Anda untuk memulai. Kemudian, sehari atau lebih kemudian, lihat 100 gambar itu dan persempit ke 25 teratas. Terakhir, persempit 25 ke 10 gambar teratas, pastikan setiap foto menyajikan konsep asli Anda untuk cerita.
• Minta masukan dari luar . Dapatkan teman tepercaya yang canggih secara visual untuk membantu Anda: Beri mereka 100 foto teratas dan deskripsi tertulis tentang keseluruhan cerita, dan biarkan mereka memilih apa yang menurut mereka merupakan 10 foto teratas. Bandingkan bagaimana pilihan mereka selaras dengan 10 foto yang Anda pilih. Di mana mereka berbeda? Tanyakan kepada teman Anda mengapa mereka memilih foto yang berbeda dari Anda, pastikan Anda mendengarkan apa yang mereka katakan tanpa memperdebatkan pilihan mereka; tugas Anda adalah mendengarkan dan memahami apa yang mereka lihat dalam gambar, dan mengapa mereka membuat pilihan yang mereka lakukan.
• Tentukan pilihan akhir Anda . Mengingat diskusi Anda dengan teman tepercaya Anda, buatlah pilihan terakhir Anda untuk 10 gambar terbaik yang menceritakan kisah Anda.
• Tulis keterangan . 10 gambar terakhir Anda dapat diberi teks untuk membantu meningkatkan narasi visual Anda, tetapi itu tidak perlu. Jika Anda merasa gambar Anda dapat menggunakan beberapa teks, tambahkan. Namun, jika menurut Anda gambar tersebut dapat berdiri sendiri, Anda dapat menampilkannya apa adanya.

Menjadi fotografer yang lebih baik dengan Keanggotaan Tahunan MasterClass . Dapatkan akses ke pelajaran video eksklusif yang diajarkan oleh ahli fotografi, termasuk Jimmy Chin, Annie Leibovitz, dan banyak lagi.

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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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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 16.292 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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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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Kumpulan Esai tentang Fotografi di Indonesia dari Zaman Kolonial hingga Era Digital

• Leonard Triyono

Buku “A History of Photography in Indonesia” karangan Brian Arnold dari Universitas Cornell mengupas perkembangan fotografi dan perannya berbagai gerakan sejak zaman kolonial hingga era reformasi di Indonesia.

Sebuah buku berjudul “A History of Photography in Indonesia: Essays on Photography from the Colonial Era to the Digital Age” (“Sejarah Fotografi di Indonesia: Kumpulan Esai tentang Fotografi dari Zaman Kolonial sampai Era Digital”), belum lama ini diterbitkan.

Penulisnya adalah Brian Arnold, seorang fotografer, pendidik, dan musisi, yang kini bekerja di Universitas Cornell di Ithaca, New York.

Brian Arnold menulis buku itu berdasarkan kajian ilmiah dari berbagai sumber, utamanya dari arsip yang kaya informasi di Universitas Cornell dan dari Program Studi Asia Tenggara di universitas itu. Di dalam buku itu, Arnold juga memasukkan pengalaman pribadi ketika mengajar, berkolaborasi, dan berdiskusi dengan para praktisi fotografi dari sejumlah perguruan tinggi dan kelompok seniman. Antara lain, dengan Universitas Pasundan, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Indonesia, Institut Seni Indonesia, Yogyakarta, dan kelompok artis di Yogyakarta yang tergabung dalam MES56.

Buku itu merupakan kumpulan esai dari sejarawan seni, kurator, antropolog, sosiolog, dan seniman terkemuka yang tertarik dengan perkembangan medium fotografi di Indonesia.

Walaupun fotografi pertama kali ditemukan pada 1839 di Perancis dan Inggris, teknologi itu dengan cepat menarik perhatian khalayak di berbagai negara, termasuk Belanda, yang kemudian segera melihat potensi fotografi untuk mendokumentasikan proyek-proyek kolonial di luar negeri.

Buku itu diawali dengan kedatangan fotografer di Hindia Belanda (sekarang Indonesia), dan mengkaji bagaimana medium tersebut berkembang sejak saat itu. Secara khusus, buku itu mengamati momen-momen penting dalam sejarah Indonesia, mulai dari gerakan menuju kemerdekaan, perkembangan pendidikan seni rupa di seluruh Nusantara, reformasi, dan munculnya budaya digital.

Secara menyeluruh, berbagai esai terpilih yang ada dalam buku ini memberikan wawasan spesifik terkait sejarah unik fotografi melalui kajian tentang kehadirannya di Indonesia.

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Brian Arnold sendiri, yang berperan sebagai penulis dan editor buku itu, menyumbangkan enam esai dan bekerja sama dengan 10 penulis lain dari Amerika, Eropa, Australia dan Indonesia.

Brian mengatakan beruntung Universitas Cornell menyimpan banyak arsip terkait hal ini. Perpustakaan Asia Tenggara di universitas itu juga sangat besar. Bahkan, kata Arnold, mungkin paling besar di duni. Perpustakaan itu juga menyimpan banyak koleksi manuskrip langka, yang memuat informasi tentang zaman kolonial di Indonesia, termasuk juga banyak buku tentang seniman fotografi di sana.

Dia mengaku bekerja sama dengan para tokoh seni rupa Indonesia termasuk F.X. Harsono, Agus Suwage, dan Wimo Ambala Bayang.

Brian berpendapat bahwa begitu banyak kejadian di dunia yang bisa dilihat dan dipahami dengan foto.

“Sejarah fotografi sangat bernilai bagi manusia di mana saja karena dari foto pula orang bisa mengamati apa yang terlihat dan tersirat dari masa lalu, masa ketika foto itu diambil,” ujarnya.

Dia menambahkan bahwa sejarah fotografi di Indonesia itu unik dan penting sebagai alat untuk memahami sejarah dan berbagai peristiwa di Indonesia, termasuk pada zaman revolusi kemerdekaan, hingga era reformasi.

“Karena kolonialisme dan seni kontemporer Indonesia memberikan sejarah yang unik. Memang, fotografi berasal dari Inggris dan Perancis, tetapi pemerintah kolonial Belanda lah yang pertama menggunakannya untuk mendokumentasikan proyek-proyek mereka," tutur Brian.

"Fotografi adalah senjata pada era kolonial, tapi itu merupakan alat penting juga bagi Soekarno dalam perjuangan kemerdekaan. Fotografi juga sangat penting pada era reformasi di Indonesia," imbuhnya.

Beranjak dari sejarah fotografi di Indonesia yang unik, melalui bukunya, Brian Arnold ingin agar orang Indonesia dan orang di mana saja mengerti keunikan itu, terutama seiring dengan semakin tumbuhnya minat yang begitu besar pada fotografi di Indonesia. Buku itu ditulis dalam bahasa Inggris karena dia ingin menjangkau khalayak internasional.

“Karena sejarah fotografi Indonesia sangat unik, saya berharap orang-orang di mana-mana, di Amerika, di Eropa akan membacanya juga dan mudah-mudahan buku itu akan menarik untuk mereka. Saya juga berharap buku itu menjadi kontribusi baru untuk semua sejarah fotografi di mana saja,” tambahnya.

Sementara itu, seorang seniman dalam bidang fotografi dan video yang mengaku bahwa proses kreatifnya didasarkan pada sejarah dan fakta, merasa mendapat kehormatan sebagai salah seorang penyumbang esai dalam buku itu.

Wimo Ambala Bayang adalah seniman fotografi lulusan Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Yogyakarta. Dia juga salah satu pendiri MES56, komunitas seniman yang bekerja secara kooperatif untuk mengembangkan fotografi dan seni kontemporer yang beririsan dengan disiplin ilmu lainnya secara kritis dan kontekstual demi terwujudnya masyarakat yang terbuka, kreatif dan mandiri.

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Wimo mengapresiasi penerbitan sebuah buku yang diharapkan mengupas dengan komprehensif sejarah fotografi di Indonesia. Menurutnya, gagasan menulis sejarah fotografi sudah lama muncul di kalangan fotografer Indonesia. Namun, kerap tidak menjadi kenyataan sampai akhirnya Brian Arnold menerbitkan bukunya.

"Nah, ini justru dilakukan oleh Indonesianis. Orang Amerika yang sangat cinta kebudayaan dan sejarah di Indonesia. Semoga buku ini jauh lebih komplit daripada buku yang pernah kami terbitkan,” kata Wimo.

Wimo juga berharap buku itu bisa melengkapi video dokumenter yang digagas oleh para dosen dari Universitas Pasundan di Bandung tentang sejarah fotografi di Indonesia, yang mengetengahkan sejumlah peristiwa penting dan wawancara dari para pelaku fotografi.

“Karena (buku) Pak Brian ini dari zaman kolonial, maka ini kan jadi komplit, cukup menjanjikan. Jadi, ini saya kira niat yang sangat baik,” imbuhnya.

Wimo menyumbang esai berjudul “Souvenirs from the Past” (“Oleh-Oleh dari masa Lalu”) untuk buku Arnold. Dia membuat tulisan itu untuk Tropenmuseum di Amsterdam, Belanda.

Direfleksikan pada zaman sekarang, dengan munculnya kamera digital, Wimo menyodorkan fenomena tentang bagaimana masyarakat Indonesia menggunakan medium digital itu untuk membuat swafoto atau menunjukkan citra diri dengan spontan, dan lebih ekspresif.

“Lain dengan identitas yang realitasnya dikonstruksi seperti tersirat pada foto-foto kartu pos dari zaman kolonial, dia mengamati bagaimana alat yang namanya kamera itu kini digunakan oleh si subyek sendiri dengan kemerdekaan, dengan seluruh keberdayaan untuk menunjukkan identitas,” tambahnya.

Kumpulan Esei tentang Fotografi dari Zaman Kolonial sampai Era Digital di Indonesia

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Tulisan Wimo membahas bahwa para fotografer pada masa kolonial itu merepresentasikan tipe-tipe pekerjaan dan tipe-tipe manusia yang bekerja di tanah jajahan.

"Hubungan-hubungan relasi kuasa dari fotografer dan subjek yang difoto itu juga saya sampaikan di situ, bahwa mereka bisa menunjukkan faset dari penampakan yang muncul dan hasil jepretan mereka, tetapi ekspresi si subjek tetap menunjukkan semacam resistansi karena ada ketakutan, seperti ada perasaan berada di bawah ancaman,” jelasnya.

Wimo berharap buku itu bisa menjadi rujukan bagi generasi yang akan datang bahwa “kita sudah punya sejarahnya, bahkan pada zaman kolonial. Dua tahun setelah kamera muncul orang Indonesia justru sudah pengalaman fotografis meskipun hanya sebagai obyek bukan subyek.”

Dia juga berharap dari buku itu bisa dilihat catatan-catatan bagaimana orang Indonesia memanfaatkan kamera dan menggunakan fotografi untuk menyatakan suara mereka. [lt/ab]

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Tentang VOA dan Pentingnya Pers Bebas

KajianPustaka

Widget html #1, pengertian, karakteristik, jenis dan syarat foto jurnalistik.

• Foto jurnalistik adalah komunikasi melalui foto (Communication Photography). Komunikasi yang dilakukan akan mengekspresikan pandangan jurnalis foto terhadap suatu objek, tetapi pesan yang disampaikan bukan merupakan ekspresi pribadi. 
• Medium foto jurnalistik adalah media cetak koran atau majalah, dan media kabel atau satelit juga internet seperti koran berita (wire service). 
• Kegiatan foto jurnalistik adalah kegiatan melaporkan diri. 
• Foto jurnalistik adalah perpaduan dari foto dan teks foto. 
• Foto jurnalistik mengacu pada manusia, manusia adalah subjek sekaligus pembaca foto jurnallistik.
• Foto jurnalistik adalah komunikasi dengan orang banyak (massaudiencesi). Karena itu, pesan yang disampaikan harus singkat dan harus segera diterima orang yang beraneka ragam. 
• Foto jrunalistik merupakan hasil kerja editor foto. 
• Tujuan foto jurnalistik adalah memenuhi kebutuhan mutlak penyampaian informasi kepada sesama, sesuai amandemen kebebasan berbicara dan kebebasan pers (freendom of speech and freendom of pressi).

Jenis-jenis Foto Jurnalistik 

• Spot Photo . Adalah foto yang dibuat dari peristiwa yang tidak terjadwal atau tidak terduga yang diambil oleh si fotografer langsung di lokasi kejadian. Misalnya, foto peristiwa kecelakaan, kebakaran, perkelahian, dan perang. Karena dibuat dari peristiwa yang jarang terjadi dan menampilkan konflik serta ketegangan, maka foto spot harus segera disiarkan. 
• General News Photo . Adalah foto-foto yang bisa diabadikan dari peristiwa yang terjadwal, rutin, dan bisaa.Temanya bisa bermacam-macam, yaitu politik, ekonomi, dan humor.Contoh, foto presiden menganugerahkan bintang Mahaputra, menteri membuka pameran, badut dalam pertunjukan, dan lain-lain. 
• People in the News Photo . Adalah foto tentang orang atau masyarakat dalam suatu berita.Yang ditampilkan adalah pribadi atau sosok orang yang menjadi berita itu.Bisa kelucuannya, nasib, dan sebagainya. Contoh, foto Ali Abbas seorang anak yang menjadi korban bom perang Irak, atau foto Juned korban kecelakaan peristiwa tabrakan kereta api, dan sebagainya. Tokoh-tokoh pada foto people in the news bisa tokoh popular atau bisa tidak, tetapi kemudian menjadi popular setelah foto itu dipublikasikan.
• Daily Life Photo . Adalah foto-foto tentang kehidupan sehari-hari manusia dipandang dari segi kemanusiannya (human interest). Misalnya, foto tentang pedagan asongan di stasiun kereta api.
• Potrait . Adalah foto yang menampilkan wajah seseorang secara close up dan mejeng. Ditampilkan karena adanya kekhasan pada wajah yang dimiliki atau kekhasan lainnya. 
• Sport Photo . Adalah foto yang dibuat dari peristiwa olahraga.Karena olahraga berlangsung pada jarak tertentu antara atlet dengan penonton dan fotografer, dalam pembuatan foto olahraga dibutuhkan perlengkapan yang memadai, misalnya lensa yang panjang serta kamera yang menggunakan motor drive.
• Science and Technology Photo . Adalah foto yang diambil dari peristiwa-peristiwa yang ada kaitannya dengan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi. Misalnya, foto penemuan micro chip computer baru, foto proses pengkloningan domba, dan sebagainya. 
• Art and Culture Photo . Adalah foto yang dibuat dari peristiwa seni dan budaya.Misalnya, foto penari jaipong, pertunjukan Iwan Fals di panggung, dan lain sebagainya.
• Social and Environment . Adalah foto-foto tentang kehidupan sosial masyarakat serta lingkungan hidupnya.Contoh, foto penduduk sekitar kali manggarai yang sedang mencuci piring. 

a. Nilai Kepentingan 

• Foto Hard News adalah foto jurnalistik yang sangat penting, memiliki nilai aktualitas tinggi. Foto seperti ini biasanya dimuat di halaman utama atau rubrik utama majalah berita. 
• Foto soft news adalah foto jurnalistik yang kurang begitu penting, namun baik juga untuk dimuat. 
• Filter news adalah foto jurnalistik yang berfungsi sebagai selingan atau pengisi halaman. Bila tidak memungkinkan, foto ini bisa juga di muat.

b. Penyajian 

• Spot news atau foto berita adalah sebuah foto yang merekam kejadian atau peristiwa sesaat dengan waktu yang sangat singkat dan tidak berulang. Biasanya berupa foto tunggal yang berdiri sendiri menyajikan suatu peristiwa. 
• Photo essay atau foto esai adalah serangkaian foto yang menggambarkan berbagai aspek dari suatu masalah yang dikupas secara mendalam. 
• Photo sequence adalah serangkaian foto yang menyajikan suatu kejadian secara mendetail, beruntun, dan kronologis. Kejadian atau peristiwa itu terjadi dalam selisih waktu yang amat singkat (dalam bilangan menit atau bahkan detik). 
• Feature photograph adalah sebuah foto jurnalistik yang menyangkut kehidupan sehari-hari namun mengundang segi kemanusiaan yang menarik.

Syarat-syarat Foto Jurnalistik 

• Informatif . Foto itu mampu menjelaskan dirinya secara ringkas, sehingga apa yang disampaikan segera dapat terbaca tanpa harus dibebani lagi dengan kata yang panjang lebar. 
• Hangat . Ini sesuai dengan prasyarat sebuah berita, yaitu yang ditampilkan dalam foto itu mengandung unsur kehangatan. Subyeknya bukan cerita basi karena tuntutan mutlak. 
• Factual . Subyek foto ini tidak diada-adakan, tetapi sesuai dengan kenyataan yang sesungguhnya. Tuntutan terhadap faktor ini sesuai dengan kenyataan yang sesungguhnya. 
• Relevan . Isi yang dikandung foto secara jitu mendukung semua tema pokok cerita atau penulisan. Artinya sebagai pendamping tulisan, maka gambaran yang tersaji dalam foto tidak melenceng dari tema tulisan. 
• Gema . Ini akan menentukan penempatan foto. Jika rekamannya hanya mengenai kejadian local (rumah kebakaran, misalnya) maka fotonya mungkin bukan di halaman muka. Tapi jika kejadiannya itu menelan ratusan korban manusia, seperti akibat bencana alam dahsyat, yang gemanya bukan sekedar lokal, tapi lebih luas, yaitu nasional, foto ini layak dapat porsi halaman muka. 
• Misi . Ini menyangkut tujuan atau target pemuatan suatu foto. Ihwal bencana alam misalnya, tentu dimaksud untuk menyentuh sentuhan kemanusiaan. Ada yang bertujuan membangkitkan apresiasi masyarakat terhadap hal-hal yang patut dihargai, atau sebaliknya menggugah kemauan mereka untuk mengubah apa yang secara kemasyarakatan dianggap berengsek.
• Otentik . Lazim juga disebut tingkat kesulitan dalam proses pemotretan. Dalam hal ini ada dua pengertian otentik. Pertama subyeknya sendiri hanya si Mat Kodak bersangkutan yang dapat, dan kedua, mesti ada 10 Mat Kodak menjepret subyek yang sama, tapi hanya satu hasil yang menunjukan sudut pandang atau moment yang berbeda. 
• Atraktif . Ini menyangkut sosok grafis sebuah foto yang tersaji secara menggigit atau mencekam. Penampilannya tidak hambar dan dibagian ini ada peran editing atau sumbangsih polesan Editor Foto.

Daftar Pustaka 

• Alwi, Audi Mirza. 2004. Foto Jurnalistik . Jakarta: Bumi Aksara.
• Gani, Rita dan Kusumalestari, R.R. 2013. Jurnalistik Foto . Bandung: Remaja Rosdakarya.
• Wijaya, Taufan. 2011. Foto Jurnalistik dalam Dimensi Utuh . Jakarta: Sahabat.
• Romli, Asep Syamsul M. 2008. Kamus Jurnalistik . Bandung: Simbiosa Rekatama Media.
• Soelarko, R.M. 1985. Pengantar Fotografi Jurnalistik . Jakarta: Karya Nusantara.
• Ed Zoelverdi. 1985. Mat Kodak: Melihat Untuk Sejuta Mata . Jakarta: Grafiti pers.

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!

Read more from our Tips & Tutorials category

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

Check out his website and his Buy Me a Coffee page .

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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

Shotkit may earn a commission on affiliate links. Learn more.

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.

Penelope G. To Ana Mireles Such a well written and helpful article for an writer who wants to inclue photo essay in her memoir. Thank you. I will get to work on this new skill. Penelope G.

Herman Krieger Photo essays in black and white

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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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Advice for an Unforgettable Photo Essay

Six steps for turning your images into a memorable photo essay, from curating your best work to crafting a title.

A man sits alone on a chair on the side of the road. We see him from above, surrounded by grey cobblestones neatly placed, a broken plastic chair, and some pylons scattered along the curb. A street cat wanders out of the frame and away from the man. He appears lonely, the only person inhabiting the place in which he seems so comfortably seated. As the eye wanders throughout the frame, however, the viewer discovers more: a vast city cast beyond the street and behind the man’s chair. This image closes Sarah Pannell’s photo essay Sehir , a quiet study of urban life.

Possibilities, discovery, and stories: these are some of the most effective elements of a photo essay. Collections of images can help produce a narrative, evoke emotion, and guide the viewer through one or more perspectives. A well-executed photo essay doesn’t rely on a title or any prior knowledge of its creator; it narrates on its own, moving viewers through sensations, lessons, and reactions.

Famous photo essays like Country Doctor by W. Eugene Smith or Gordon Parks’ The Harlem Family are acclaimed for showing a glimpse into the lives of the sick and impoverished. Other well-made photo essays offer a new way to look at the everyday, such as Peter Funch’s much-reposted photo series 42nd and Vanderbilt , for which Funch photographed the same street corner for nine years. As shown by these photographers’ experiences with the medium, a collection of photos can enliven spaces and attitudes. Strong photo essays can give voice to marginalized individuals and shine a spotlight on previously overlooked experiences.

You don’t necessarily need to be a documentary photographer to create a powerful photo essay. Photo essays can showcase any topic, from nature photography to portraiture to wedding shots. We spoke to a few photographers to get their perspectives on what makes a good photo essay, and their tips for how any photographer can get started in this medium. Here are six steps to follow to create a photo essay that tells a memorable story.

Choose a specific topic or theme for your photo essay.

There are two types of photo essays: the narrative and the thematic. Narrative photo essays focus on a story you’re telling the viewer, while thematic photo essays speak to a specific subject.

The most natural method for choosing a topic or theme for your photo essay is to go with what you know. Photograph what you experience. Whether that includes people, objects, or the things you think about throughout the day, accessibility is key here. Common topics or concepts to start with are emotions (depicting sadness or happiness) or experiences (everyday life, city living).

For photographer Sharon Pannen , planning a photo essay is as simple as “picking out a subject you find interesting or you want to make a statement about.”

From Paper & Stories , a photo series by Sharon Pannen for Schön! Magazine.

Consider your photo subjects.

The subjects of your photographs, whether human or not, will fill the space of your photos and influence the mood or idea you’re trying to depict. The subject can determine whether or not your photos are considered interesting. “I always try to find someone that catches my eye. I especially like to see how the light falls on their face and how a certain aesthetic might add to their persona,” says photographer Victoria Wojtan .

While subjects and their interest factor are, well, subjective, when considering your subjects, you should ask yourself about your audience. Do other people want to see this? Is my subject representative of the larger idea my photo essay is trying to convey? Your projects can involve people you know or people you’ve only just met.

“Most projects I work on involve shooting portraits of strangers, so there’s always a tension in approaching someone for a portrait,” says photographer Taylor Dorrell . For Wojtan, that tension can help build trust with a subject and actually leads to more natural images “If there’s tension it’s usually because the person’s new to being photographed by someone for something that’s outside of a candid moment or selfie, and they need guidance for posing. This gives me the opportunity to make them feel more comfortable and let them be themselves. I tend to have a certain idea in mind, but try to allow for organic moments to happen.”

Aim for a variety of images.

Depending on your theme, there are a few types of photos you’ll want to use to anchor your essay. One or two lead photos should slowly introduce the viewer to your topic. These initial photos will function in a similar way to the introductory paragraph in a written essay or news article.

From there, you should consider further developing your narrative by introducing elements like portraiture, close ups, detail shots, and a carefully selected final photo to leave the viewer with the feeling you set out to produce in your photos. Consider your opening and closing images to be the most important elements of your photo essay, and choose them accordingly. You want your first images to hook the viewer, and you also want your final images to leave a lasting impression and perhaps offer a conclusion to the narrative you’ve developed.

Including different types of photos, shot at different ranges, angles, and perspectives, can help engage your viewer and add more texture to your series.

Says photographer Taylor Dorrell: “After I have a group of images, I tend to think about color, composition, the order the images were taken, the subject material, and relevance to the concept.”

From Taylor Dorrell’s photo essay White Fences : “White Fences is an ongoing photo series that explores the theme of suburban youth in the United States, specifically in the midwest suburb New Albany, Ohio.”

Put your emotions aside.

Self-doubt can easily come into play when working with your own photography. The adage that we are our own worst critics is often true. It can be difficult to objectively select your strongest images when creating a photo essay. This is why putting together photo essays is such a useful practice for developing your curatorial skills.

“The most important part for me is getting outside opinions. I don’t do that enough, and have a bias in selecting images that might not be the most powerful images or the most effective sequence of images,” says Dorrell. Your own perception of a photograph can cloud your ability to judge whether or not it adds to your photo essay. This is especially true when your essay deals with personal subjects. For example, a photo essay about your family may be hard to evaluate, as your own feelings about family members will impact how you take and view the photos. This is where getting feedback from peers can be invaluable to producing a strong series.

Collecting feedback while putting your photo essay together can help you determine the strengths, weaknesses, and gaps within the collection of photos you’ve produced. Ask your friends to tell you their favorites, why they like them, and what they think you’re going for in the work you’ve created. Their opinions can be your guide, not just your own emotions.

Edit your photo selection.

Beyond post-production, the series of photos you select as your essay will determine whether you’ve executed your theme or narrative effectively. Can the photos stand alone, without written words, and tell the story you set out to? Do they make sense together, in a logical sequence? The perfect photo essay will give your audience a full picture of the narrative, theme, or essence you’re looking to capture.

A good method to use to cull your images down is to remove as many as half of your images straight away to see if your narrative is still as strong with fewer photos. Or, perhaps, deciding on a small number you’d like to aim for (maybe just five to ten images) and using this as a method to narrow down to the images that tell your story best.

From Taylor Dorrell’s photo essay Over the Rhine , featured in Vice.

Give your photo essay a title, and add a concise written statement.

Finally, you’ll want to create a title and written statement for your photo essay. This will help position your work and can enable the viewer to fully understand your intention, or at least guide their perspective.

A solid written statement and title will be relevant to your topic, detail your primary objective, and introduce your point of view. It’s an opportunity to clarify your intentions to the viewer and ensure they walk away with a clear interpretation of your work. Depending on your photo essay, you may want to include several paragraphs of text, but even just one or two sentences of background can be enough to expand the viewer’s understanding of your work.

Consider if you’d like to add the written statement at the beginning of your essay to introduce it, or at the end as a conclusion. Either one can be impactful, and it depends how you’d like people to experience your work.

For his photo essay White Fences, excerpted above, Taylor Dorrell wrote only one sentence of introduction. But for his series Over the Rhine, Dorell included a longer written statement to accompany the work, which is “an ongoing photo series that seeks to explore the Cincinnati neighborhood of the same name and its surroundings. The series was started in response to the shooting of Samuel DuBose, an unarmed black man, by officer Ray Tensing of the University of Cincinnati Police, which happened July 19th, 2015.” Dorell’s text goes on to offer more background on the project, setting up the viewer with all the information they need to understand the context of the photo essay.

Depending on the motivations behind your photo essay and what sort of subject it depicts, a longer text may be necessary—or just a few words might be enough.

Looking for a place to share your photo essays with the world? Take a look at our guide to creating a photography website for tips on showcasing your photos online.

Cover image by Taylor Dorrell, from his photo essay Hurricane Over Sugar .

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Kata orang, banyak orang yang bisa menulis, tapi sangat sedikit orang yang bisa menghasilkan sebuah tulisan yang mampu bercerita dengan baik, benar, dan indah. Begitu juga dengan memotret. Banyak orang yang bisa memotret dan menghasilkan sebuah foto. Tapi untuk menghasilkan sebuah foto yang mampu bercerita dengan baik, benar, dan indah serta, masih sangat sedikit jumlahnya. Ini mengakibatkan sebuah foto essay menjadi sebuah salah satu bentuk seni tersendiri di bidang fotografi. Bahkan kemampuan kita dalam membuat foto essay seringkali menjadi salah satu syarat untuk menjadi fotografer dalam bidang jurnalistik.

Foto essay sendiri dapat dikatakan sebuah model foto yang dihasilkan oleh seorang fotografer untuk menceritakan sesuatu dengan menggunakan beberapa foto. Alasannya karena dalam satu foto, sangat jarang dan susah untuk menceritakan seluruh bagian cerita dalam sebuah kisah. Maka dari itu, kemampuan kita dalam memilih sebuah foto untuk dimasukkan ke dalam bagian cerita sangatlah penting.

Untuk menghasilkan sebuah foto essay yang baik, kita tidak hanya dituntut untuk memiliki tehnik fotgrafi yang baik saja, tetapi kita juga harus mempunyai kemampuan untuk membuat sebuah konsep yang baik juga. Apalagi jika kegiatan fotografi tersebut digunakan untuk sebuah kegiatan jurnalistik. Seperti kita tahu bahwa untuk menjadikan sebuah foto essay yang memiliki unsur jurnalistiknya, ada 3 pekerjaan yang harus kita lakukan, yaitu : Memotret, menulis, dan menyimpan. Dan jam terbang di lapangan juga sangat berpengaruh terhadap seorang fotografer untuk menghasilkan sebuah insting yang sangat dibutuhkan untuk membuat sebuat foto yang baik dan indah.

Dalam dunia fotografi dikenal metode EDFAT ( Entire, Details, Frame, Angle, and Time ) untuk menciptakan foto esai yang baik. Melalui metode ini, seorang Fotografer akan berproses untuk menemukan bingkai foto yang tepat, kreatif, dan bisa mengumpulkan data lengkap untuk ditampilakn dalam foto esai. Metode yang diperkenalkan oleh "Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication Arizona State Universitu" ini telah teruji sebagi metode untuk memilih aspek spesial dari  cerita, agar memperoleh gambar yang sangat kuat. Selain itu, sebuah karya fotografi dapat dikatakan memiliki nilai jurnalistik jika memenuhi syarat jurnalistik, yaitu memenuhi kriteria 5W+1H (What, Who, Why, When, Where, and How)

Ada beberapa jenis foto yang harus kita perhatikan untuk menghasilkan sebuah sebuah foto esay yang baik, yaitu :

• Establishing Shot, yaitu biasanya bagaimana cara kita mengambarkan sebuah tempat kejadian, biasanya menggunakan lensa wide anggle untuk menghasilkan kesan tiga dimensi, tetapi menggunkan lensa tele juga bisa.
• Detail Shot, yaitu foto detail dari sebuah benda atau orang yang penting di foto tersebut, seperti nama, cincin, dan lain lain.
• Interaction Shot, yaitu sebuah interaksi yang dilakukan oleh dua orang atau lebih.
• Climax, untuk menceritakan sebuah klimaks atau puncak dari sebuah kejadian, acara, fenomena, ataupun sebuah cerita.
• Closer/Clincher, Foto yang menutup sebuah cerita. Di bagian ini biasanya digunakan untuk memberikan pesan, kesan, inspirasi, motivasi, atau apapun yang ditujukan kepada penikmat hasil fotografi tersebut.
• Tentukan tema atau topik yang akan teman-teman gunakan.
• Riset dan survei tempat yang akan digunakan, termasuk meriset segala sesuatu yang berguna untuk hasil fotografi tersebut.
• Rencanakan foto-foto yang akan diambil.
• Pilih foto yang terbaik dan lakukan editing secukupnya jika diperlukan.
• Perhatikan tata letak/layout foto yang akan kita gunakan. karena semakin penting foto tersebut makan semakin besar ukuran relatifnya dengan foto lain.

By : Febri Krisdianto (Nama pena Febri Al- Fatih), seorang penulis lepas dan Backpaker. Jika ingin berkomunikasi silahkan ke Twitter : @febriKrisdiant2

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

Photo Editing , 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.

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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Ten examples of immersive photo essays

By Marissa Sapega — Contributing Writer

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. 

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! Publish 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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