a picture of otto essay

A Picture of Otto Summary & Analysis by Ted Hughes

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

The British poet Ted Hughes published "A Picture of Otto" in his final collection, Birthday Letters , in 1998. This autobiographical collection focuses on the relationship between Hughes and his former wife, the famous American poet Sylvia Plath (who died by suicide in 1963). In this particular poem, Hughes addresses Plath's father, Otto, whom Plath depicted as an overbearing tyrant (and also conflated with Hughes) in her poem " Daddy ." Hughes meets Otto in the underworld, and, rather than confront him in anger, expresses sympathy for and solidarity with him. Hughes suggests that Plath's perception of both men was just that: her perception, rather than the objective truth of who they were. In this way, the poem seeks to complicate the mythology surrounding Hughes and Plath's relationship, while also suggesting more generally that there are many sides to any story.

• Read the full text of “A Picture of Otto”

The Full Text of “A Picture of Otto”

“a picture of otto” summary, “a picture of otto” themes.

Truth, Perspective, and Subjectivity

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “a picture of otto”.

You stand there ... ... the honey-bee's commune.

A big shock ... ... with me —

Rising from your ... ... your family vault.

Lines 12-16

I never dreamed, ... ... my son's portrait.

Lines 17-19

I understand - ... ... her heart's home.

Lines 20-21

Inseparable, here we ... ... in common —

Lines 22-25

Not that I ... ... as if alone.

“A Picture of Otto” Symbols

• Lines 8-11: “a big shock / To meet me face to face in the dark adit / Where I have come looking for your daughter. / You had assumed this tunnel your family vault.”

“A Picture of Otto” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

Alliteration.

• Line 2: “Minister manqué”
• Line 5: “big,” “Prussian,” “backbone”
• Line 6: “can,” “conjured,” “poetry”
• Line 14: “can,” “candle”
• Line 19: “her heart's home”
• Line 1: “You stand there at the blackboard”
• Lines 5-7: “A big shock for so much of your Prussian backbone / As can be conjured into poetry / To find yourself so tangled with me —”
• Line 10: “Where I have come looking for your daughter.”
• Line 14: “As long as your daughter's words can stir a candle.”
• Lines 17-19: “I understand - you never could have released her. / I was a whole myth too late to replace you. / This underworld, my friend, is her heart's home.”
• Lines 22-25: “Not that I see her behind you, where I face you, / But like Owen, after his dark poem, / Under the battle, in the catacomb, / Sleeping with his German as if alone.”
• Line 8: “coffin,” “shock”
• Line 9: “meet me”
• Line 13: “ghost,” “shadow”
• Line 14: “long,” “daughter's ,” “words,” “stir”
• Line 15: “hardly,” “apart”
• Line 18: “late,” “replace”
• Line 23: “poem”
• Line 24: “battle,” “catacomb”
• Line 25: “alone”
• Line 2: “manqué. Your”
• Line 8: “coffin, a”
• Line 12: “dreamed, how”
• Line 16: “portrait, here, could”
• Line 17: “understand - you”
• Line 19: “underworld, my,” “friend, is”
• Line 20: “Inseparable, here”
• Line 22: “you, where”
• Line 23: “Owen, after”
• Line 24: “battle, in”
• Line 5: “big,” “shock,” “Prussian,” “backbone”
• Line 9: “meet me,” “dark adit”
• Line 11: “tunnel,” “family vault”
• Line 12: “occult,” “guilt”
• Line 13: “ghost inseparable”
• Line 14: “daughter's words,” “can,” “candle”
• Line 15: “could hardly”
• Line 21: “forgiven,” “ and in common”
• Line 25: “Sleeping,” “German,” “alone”
• Line 9: “face to face”
• Line 16: “portrait,” “portrait”
• Lines 1-2: “Lutheran / Minister”
• Lines 2-3: “idea / Of”
• Lines 3-4: “radically / Modified”
• Lines 5-6: “backbone / As”
• Lines 6-7: “poetry / To”
• Lines 8-9: “shock / To”
• Lines 9-10: “adit / Where”
• Lines 13-14: “shadow / As”
• Lines 5-6: “A big shock for so much of your Prussian backbone / As can be conjured into poetry”
• Lines 13-14: “Your ghost inseparable from my shadow / As long as your daughter's words can stir a candle.”

“A Picture of Otto” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Lutheran Minister Manqué
• The Honey-Bee's Commune
• Your Daughter
• Your Portrait
• (Location in poem: Lines 1-2: “Lutheran / Minister manqué”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “A Picture of Otto”

Rhyme scheme, “a picture of otto” speaker, “a picture of otto” setting, literary and historical context of “a picture of otto”, more “a picture of otto” resources, external resources.

"Stronger Than Death" — Watch a BBC program exploring Hughes's life and work.  

An Introduction to Birthday Letters — A short article exploring the historical context of the collection in which this poem appears.

Hughes's Life and Work — Read a short biography of Hughes via the Poetry Foundation.  

Hughes and Plath — Learn more about the "most notorious, politicized and doomed literary couple in history." 

Sylvia Plath's Biography — Learn more about Sylvia Plath herself. 

LitCharts on Other Poems by Ted Hughes

Anniversary

Bayonet Charge

Cat and Mouse

Football at Slack

Fulbright Scholars

Full Moon and Little Frieda

Hawk Roosting

Telegraph Wires

The Harvest Moon

The Thought Fox

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

A Picture of Otto

A Picture of Otto  explores Otto Plath’s unabating grasp on his daughter, Hughes’ emergence as a father-figure to Plath, Plath’s need for a father-figure, Hughes’ struggle to grasp his role in Plath’s life

A Picture of Otto is addressed to Otto Plath. Throughout it, Hughes reflects on his relationship with Sylvia, and how it has brought the two men together in a strange and unexpected way. 

The poem opens with Hughes describing a photograph of Otto standing by a blackboard like a teacher. Hughes describes him as ‘manque,’ meaning someone who has not lived up to their potential. But it is the second stanza where Hughes really begins to dissect Otto and his influence. With ‘your Prussian backbone,’ Hughes references Otto’s Aryan heritage. The Nazis believed the Aryans to be the dominant race, so the third line of the second stanza, ‘To find yourself so tangled with me - / Rising from your coffin, a big shock’ reveals how Hughes thinks Otto would be insulted to find that Sylvia had replaced her father with a man like Ted Hughes.

Referring back to the use of the word ‘tangled,’ Hughes deliberately describes his relationship with the Otto, and both men’s relationship with Sylvia, to emphasise the turbulent and convoluted nature of their connections, and how improbable it is that they are tied to one another. This is furthered in ‘Your ghost inseparable from my shadow / As long as your daughter’s words can stir a candle.’ Here, Hughes is attempting to distance himself from Sylvia, firstly by referring to Sylvia as Otto’s ‘daughter’ and not his wife, and through the imagery of ‘ghost,’ which suggests some kind of enduring legacy, to describe Otto, and ‘shadow,’ to describe his own presence as something that exists in the background. With ‘This underworld, my friend, is her heart’s home. / Inseparable, here we must remain.’ Hughes conveys how the men have a common bond over their relationships with Sylvia, and how through her writing she has condemned them to join in her suffering for an eternity.

The final stanza, with its allusion to Wilfred Owen’s Strange Meeting, hints at an unknown cause of Plath’s trauma. 

As such, throughout this poem we see Hughes attempt to distance himself from Plath, and in turn obscure his role in her mental torment. He simultaneously connects with Otto over their shared experience of Sylvia’s psychosis, and ultimately shifts the responsibility to him for her suffering. 

quote table

Hughes poetry, fulbright scholars.

The Bee God

< back to module a.

Module A – Essay Plath and Hughes

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Resource Description

How does the study of the commonalities and collisions between the poetry of Plath and Hughes bring responders to a deeper consideration and understanding of the texts?

Intro: The poetry of Sylvia Plath with the response of Ted Hughes creates deeper understanding and consideration of the texts through the introduction of new perspectives and interpretations. Through poems within Ariel by Sylvia Plath, Plath creates perceptions of Hughes that he responds with poems within Birthday letter published early 40 years later. This call and response create a deeper understanding and consideration on topics within Plath’s and Hughes’s poetry reflecting their lives. These aspects include Plath’s father seen in Daddy within Arial and Picture of Otto and the Shot in Birthday letters, Plath’s mental health as seen in The Arrival of the Bee Box and Fever 103 within Ariel and Fever and Bee God within Birthday Letters, and their romantic relationship as seen within Fever 103 and Lady Lazarus within Ariel and Fever and Red within Birthday Letters. The addressing of these topics first outlined Plath by Hughes assists in furthering the understanding of both poem as well as forcing the readers to question Plath’s poems. Therefore, the poetry of Sylvia Plath with the response of Ted Hughes creates deeper understanding and consideration of the texts through the introduction of new perspectives and interpretations.

Sylvia Plath’s father Otto Plath is a key figure written about within poems of Daddy, Picture of Otto and The Shot. Sylvia Plath within Daddy addresses the internal conflict within herself about her father’s death and the impact that had on her relationship with others. By saying that her father was “Not God but a swastika; No black no sky could squeak through” Plath uses the metaphor of a Swastika as symbolism for her father being a force of evil, one that disguised itself as something meaning peace and happiness but meant doom. This is contradicted by Hughes within the poem The Shot as her “Daddy had been aiming you at God; When his death touched the trigger”. Hughes contradicts Plath by using God to symbolise Plath’s need to worship a man. Furthermore, by using the reoccurring motif of bullet throughout the poem such as ‘trigger’ Hughes outlines his perspective that Plath was destined to worship a man and her father caused this as she did worship him, supported by the Electra complex. This contradiction deepens our understanding of both texts by forcing us to view Hughes perspective whilst reading Daddy to create a deeper consideration of the text and the idea of whether this was Plath’s actual thoughts. The idea of Plath finding another version of her father is extended within Daddy as “If I’ve killed one man, I’ve killed two—–; The vampire who said he was you”. This supports Hughes’s idea of Plath needing to find an image of her father whilst Plath iterating through the metaphorical use of vampire that Hughes was a dark character that sucked the life from her. Additionally, the dark and accusorary tone of this line implicates that Hughes was a liar within their relationship. Hughes again contradicts tis in Picture of Otto as he ‘find(s) yourself so tangled with me-; Rising from your coffin, a big shock”. Hughes whilst he addresses Otto creates the view that he did not know that he was an image of Otto through the metaphor of Otto rising form the coffin symbolising the Plath’s memory of Otto lives on within Hughes. These two quotes therefore both use dark imagery to create negative connotations of each other causing responders to reconsider their consideration of the texts and strengthening their understanding through the enlightenment of new context through the response of Hughes. Consequently, Hughes’s response to Plath about perceptions of her father within Hughes’s furthers readers understandings of both texts by providing a range or perspectives forcing them to reconsider both texts.

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Unreconstructed

A Picture of Otto

The practical applications of conceptual history.

“Lordship, possession, are my aim and thought / The deed is everything, the glory naught.”

Heinrich Faust, from Goethe's Faust

“A state? What is that? Well! open now your ears unto me, for now will I say unto you my word concerning the death of peoples.”

Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra

(Disclaimer: Before the internet, most right-wing German texts were not translated into English. We have our bootlegs now, but this theory-shortage in the Anglosphere crippled the right for decades . Whether this was because of the intellectual biases of those running the publishing houses, or the parochial nature of foreign reactionaries, is something for readers to judge for themselves. 1 Any errors in translation can be chalked up to that reality.)

The subject of this talk is Otto Brunner. A lesser-known scholar, but a man of power, who nevertheless had a lot to teach us about the historian’s craft, and the nature of the medieval world.

An interesting corner of academia to be sure — but I can anticipate complaints. What is the relevance of this German fossil for twenty-first century reactionaries?

The answer is that Brunner’s conceptual vocabulary, developed to describe the Austrian feudal past, helps us to make sense of what some have called our contemporary, neo-feudal order. His work will allow us to understand worlds before and after the liberal state, in their own illiberal terms.

Works like Land and Lordship , only recently translated, are still a little taboo, given Brunner’s variously racist and elitist political views. But as with the works of men like Martin Heidegger or Carl Schmitt, Brunner’s theories are seen as too intellectually important to be discarded.

Born in the Austrian town of Mödling, where Beethoven spent his twilight years, Brunner would go on to fight for the Central Powers at the Italian front. To anyone familiar with the history of the region, the “Ring of Steel” maintained by the Germans was characterised by bloody and repetitive skirmishes, like the twelve battles of the Isonzo.

After the war, he was swept up in a wave of veterans entering the academy, a “young front generation” confronted by the mortality of the modern state. European liberalism was threatened by postwar risings, revolutions and reactions, and forever modified — made managerial — by the dialectics of the day.

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Medieval Europe + Byzantine

Course: medieval europe + byzantine   >   unit 7.

• Ottonian art, an introduction
• Bronze doors, Saint Michael's, Hildesheim, commissioned by Bishop Bernward, 1015
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“A Man Called Otto”, A Tale Of Life Lessons And Inspirational Story

• 7 mins read
• views 1,189

Hey, guess what? I stumbled upon this movie called ‘A Man Called Otto’ while scrolling through Facebook yesterday. People were raving about how awesome it is! So, today I got to Double Tree Hilton in Penang early for my talk on Embracing IR4.0 and Digitalisation tomorrow. I thought, why not check out this movie on Netflix?

I’ve always loved how Tom Hanks nails his characters, and in this movie, he’s just brilliant as always. It’s a simple, everyday-life kind of movie about a community, but the way he portrays Otto’s character is just outstanding. I wonder if it’d have the same impact with another actor in that role.

As a lover of impactful movies that leave a lasting impression on life, I am always drawn to movies that delve deep into the human experience. From the romantic-comedy drama of “Jerry Maguire” to the profound family saga of “The Godfather,” these films have not only entertained me but also provided valuable life lessons.

Image | IMDb

Recently, I had the privilege of watching a gem of a movie called “A Man Called Otto,” and I can’t help but feel profoundly touched by its brilliance. This thought-provoking film has inspired me to reflect on the meaningful life lessons it offers, compelling me to share my insights with others who appreciate the transformative power of cinema. Let’s see what can we learn from this movie.

Embracing drama

There’s something captivating about drama – the emotions it evokes, the intense character portrayals, and the ability to mirror our struggles and triumphs. As an enthusiast of drama, I recognize the potent blend of joy, sorrow, and everything in between that drives the narrative. The emotional rollercoaster allows me to immerse myself fully in the lives of the characters, forging a connection that goes beyond the screen.

Drama as a gateway to life lessons

“A Man Called Otto” epitomizes the essence of drama that goes beyond mere entertainment. It touches on the complexities of human relationships, highlighting the significance of empathy, compassion, and redemption. Otto’s journey from a bitter, isolated individual to a caring, loving figure aptly showcases the transformative power of human connections. Through this movie, I obtain life lessons that inspire me to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

Finding meaning and purpose

As I explore Otto’s life, I witness the pursuit of meaning and purpose amid loss and despair. The film beautifully portrays how even in the darkest of times, a glimmer of hope can emerge, leading to newfound meaning. Otto’s bond with the Mendes family and his role as “Abuelo Otto” exemplifies the beauty of unexpected connections, providing a sense of purpose that transcends personal struggles.

Confronting injustice and standing up

“A Man Called Otto” does not shy away from addressing societal issues such as corporate greed and injustice. His determination to protect Reuben and Anita from eviction demonstrates the importance of standing up for what is right, regardless of personal consequences. The movie inspires viewers to be advocates for those in need, fueling positive change in their communities.

Emotional vulnerability and mental health

The film bravely tackles mental health and emotional vulnerability, showcasing his internal battle with suicidal thoughts and grief. By addressing these difficult topics, the movie sparks conversations about mental health, encouraging individuals to seek support and talk openly about their emotions. This serves as a reminder that emotional well-being is essential to living a fulfilling life.

Acceptance and understanding

In a world where diversity is celebrated, “A Man Called Otto” introduces us to Malcolm, a transgender teenager. Otto’s acceptance and understanding of Malcolm’s identity send a powerful message about embracing diversity and fostering inclusive communities. The movie advocates for empathy and respect, urging viewers to be more open-minded and compassionate toward one another.

Application of lessons to our daily life

Based on the storyline, here are some specific suggestions on how we can apply the lessons from the movie to our daily lives:

• Openness to Connection : Be open to forming connections with others, even if you feel distant or reserved. Initiate conversations, show interest in others’ lives, and be willing to help when someone needs it. Example: Strike up a conversation with a neighbor, coworker, or acquaintance you haven’t spoken to in a while. Ask about their day or show support for any challenges they might be facing.
• Finding Joy in Simple Things : Embrace and appreciate the little pleasures that life offers, such as enjoying a home-cooked meal, spending time with loved ones, or savoring a beautiful sunset. Example: Take a moment each day to notice and appreciate something small that brings you joy, like a favorite song, a cup of tea, or the company of a pet.
• Overcoming Past Trauma : Confront and work through past traumas or negative experiences. Seek support from friends, family, or professionals to help you heal and grow from these experiences. Example: Consider talking to a therapist or counselor about any unresolved emotional issues or traumas you might be carrying.
• Choosing Empathy and Compassion : Practice empathy by trying to understand and relate to the feelings and experiences of others. Show compassion by offering help and support when someone is going through a difficult time. Example: If a friend or colleague seems stressed, take a moment to listen to their concerns and offer your support or assistance.
• Seeking Meaning and Purpose : Be open to exploring new opportunities and experiences that might bring more meaning and purpose to your life. Example: Engage in volunteer work or take up a new hobby or activity that aligns with your values and interests.
• Supporting Others and Standing Up for What’s Right : Advocate for others who may be in vulnerable positions or facing injustice. Use your voice and actions to make a positive impact. Example: If you witness someone being treated unfairly, speak up and show solidarity with them.
• Forgiving and Letting Go : Practice forgiveness to free yourself from the burden of grudges and negative emotions. Example: Consider forgiving someone who may have wronged you in the past, allowing yourself to move forward with a lighter heart.
• Caring for Mental Health : Prioritize your mental health and well-being, and encourage others to do the same. Seek help and support when needed. Example: Practice self-care activities, such as meditation, exercise, or spending time in nature, to support your mental and emotional well-being.
• Creating a Positive Legacy : Consider the impact you want to leave behind and how your actions can positively influence others, even after you are gone. Example: Be mindful of the impressions you make on others and strive to leave a positive and kind legacy through your actions and relationships.
• Appreciating Family and Loved Ones : Cherish the relationships with family and loved ones, and take time to show them how much they mean to you. Example: Plan a special outing or surprise gesture for a family member or friend to show your appreciation and love.

By incorporating these lessons into our daily lives, we can cultivate a more compassionate, fulfilling, and meaningful existence, just as Otto’s journey in the film demonstrates.

As an enthusiast of drama, you recognize the power of storytelling and its potential to inspire personal growth. “A Man Called Otto” is a poignant masterpiece that exemplifies the beauty of drama, delivering life lessons that resonate long after the credits roll. It teaches us the value of human connections, the pursuit of purpose, and the importance of standing up for what is right. By addressing mental health, diversity, and empathy, the film creates a profound impact on its audience. So, embrace the drama, immerse yourself in meaningful stories like “A Man Called Otto,” and let its lessons guide you towards a more compassionate, understanding, and fulfilling life.

In conclusion, “A Man Called Otto” is a touching and inspiring film that imparts valuable life lessons for personal growth and positive change. Through Otto Anderson’s transformation, we witness the power of human connection, the significance of empathy and compassion, and the beauty of finding meaning in life’s simplest joys.

As we navigate our daily lives, we can apply these lessons from “A Man Called Otto” to make improvements in our journeys. Embrace openness and connect with others authentically, cherishing the moments of joy and finding purpose in the activities that ignite passion within you. Face past traumas with courage, seek support and healing, and practice forgiveness to free yourself from the weight of grudges.

Moreover, let us remember to prioritize mental health, not only for ourselves but also for those around us, offering empathy and support when needed. By advocating for fairness and standing up against injustice, we can foster a more compassionate and united community.

To fully grasp the depth of these lessons and experience the heartwarming journey of Otto Anderson, I wholeheartedly recommend watching “A Man Called Otto.” Witness the transformation of a grumpy man into a source of kindness and inspiration, and allow his story to touch your heart and spark positive changes in your own life.

In embracing the lessons from “A Man Called Otto,” we can create a ripple effect of compassion, understanding, and purpose in our world. Let us strive to be more like Otto, learn from his experiences and actions, and make a difference in the lives of those we encounter. Ultimately, by applying these valuable insights, we can nurture a more harmonious and uplifting society for everyone.

So,  grab some popcorn, sit back, and let the story of “A Man Called Otto” inspire you to embark on your journey of growth, compassion, and self-discovery. Allow the lessons learned from Otto’s experiences to guide you towards a more empathetic, meaningful, and joyful life, enriched by the connections we make with those around us. Don’t miss the chance to embark on this heartening journey by watching “A Man Called Otto,” and may it leave an enduring impact on your heart, inspiring you to become a better version of yourself.

More from Mohd Azad Jasmi

Welcome to our brand-new UI website! 🌟 We’re thrilled to have you here, and we hope your experience exploring our sleek and intuitive interface is nothing short of delightful. Our redesigned UI is more than just a visual upgrade – it’s a reflection of our commitment to providing you with an enhanced and enjoyable online journey. We’ve incorporated the latest design trends and technologies to make your interaction with our website seamless, responsive, and, most importantly, tailored to your needs. Thank you for being a part of our online community. Your presence makes our website come to life, and we look forward to serving you in the best possible way.

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A Man Called Otto: An accurate reflection of life without purpose

Caution: I reveal several spoilers in this movie review.

Earlier this week, I saw the movie A Man Called Otto for the second time. It really resonates with me for several reasons, as I think it will with anyone over the age of 50 and, especially, those people who are retired.

Otto is an older man, played masterfully by Tom Hanks. He was pushed out of a job he enjoyed as a mechanical engineer. When Otto shows up for work one morning, the entire staff is gathered with a cake to wish him well. His co-workers couldn’t even wait until the end of the day to celebrate his departure.

That’s the first thing people over 50 have to realize. When they retire, they will be immediately forgotten. In fact, there are likely several people jockeying for their job, office, computer, desk chair, etc.

Otto’s boss tells everyone how much he will be missed. However, Otto responds by reminding the boss that, yes, he took the severance package when offered, but only because the company promoted a man Otto trained to be his direct supervisor.

That’s just like corporations today. We have interviewed people at Forward From 50 who have had to train their replacements long before they were ready to quit their jobs.

There is a celebratory cake decorated with an edible photo of Otto and wishing him well. To add insult to being pushed out of the job, a younger coworker cuts right through Otto’s face. It symbolizes how anxious the staff is to eliminate him from their midst.

Otto does what many other men would do. He simply turns around and walks out of the building.

Grumpy old man

Otto is not a happy man. There are several reasons for that. First, he lost the love of his life just six months earlier. She had been paralyzed from the waist down in a bus accident while the two of them were on vacation. The accident claimed the life of their unborn son. Another illness completely incapacitated his best friend, both physically and mentally.

There were plenty of reasons for Otto to be angry and feeling alone. He lost his family and he was losing his friends. Add the loss of his job to the mix, and Otto lacked purpose for his life.

Like most men in similar situations, when their lives lack purpose, then other people’s business becomes their business.

Otto made it his mission to ensure that everyone followed the rules in his neighborhood. He even chastised a UPS driver for parking a delivery van on the street without a permit. He yelled at a teen for littering because he dared deliver shopper-like newspapers on everyone’s front lawn.

He was the first person to shovel his walk after a snowstorm, but dared not shovel beyond his property. He was unkind to people, gruff and insulting. He lived alone and the pain of isolation robbed him of all joy. Although is wife had died months earlier, Otto had left her things hanging in the hallway and her blanket draped over their bed. He could not let her go.

No reason to live

Without a purpose for his life, Otto tried to end his several times. First, he tried hanging, but the weight of his body pulled the noose from the ceiling. Then he tried carbon monoxide poisoning, but frantic banging on his garage door by a neighbor needing to take her husband to the hospital, thwarted that plan.

Next, Otto was ready to throw himself in front of an oncoming train. But another older man fainted on the train platform and fell onto the tracks. That prompted Otto to jump down to save the injured man. Otto was pulled to safety himself with seconds to spare. He became a reluctant hero in the process.

Finally, Otto tried to end his life with a shotgun. However, a knock on the door by one of his wife’s former students who needed a place to stay, startled him, which caused the shots to strike the ceiling instead.

To me, a man of faith, each of Otto’s failed attempts to end his life demonstrated God’s power to carry out his plans by overruling ours when necessary to accomplish his will.

Renewed purpose

After determining he couldn’t even kill himself, Otto had a change of heart. He discovered there really was a purpose to his life. Through all his ordeals, he realized he could help:

• His wife’s former student get started on a better life.
• His former best friend’s wife fight a medical kidnapping and forced eviction.
• Help his neighbor learn to drive.
• Be a grandfather to three neighbor children.
• Care for a stray cat.

Although he never gave up enforcing rules and continued to “go on his rounds” every day, he served other people. Love returned to his heart and he brought clear value to their lives.

My key takeaways from this outstanding movie were:

• A purpose is essential for happiness and fulfillment for people over 50.
• Purpose must bring value to other people for it to have value to you.
• Enforcing rules may seem like a purpose, but it doesn’t help anyone. Therefore, it’s unfulfilling. It is only when whatever we do with our lives works to touch someone else in a positive way, that we realize our lives have genuine purpose.
• You must act on your dreams today because someday may never arrive. Life has a horrible way of disrupting our plans.
• Regardless of how painful your life has been or is today, someone else in your circle of influence likely needs help too. In fact, they may need it even more than you do.
• You don’t need money to impact the lives of others. Simply sharing your knowledge, skills, experience and attention can be a significant contribution.
• Being around children has a magical way of making us feel and act younger than we are.

I plan to buy this movie as soon as it’s available on March 14, 2023 . The movie is based on a 2012 book titled A Man Named Ove , which was written by Fredrick Bachman. I strongly encourage anyone over 50 to watch the film or read the book.

Here is the official trailer:

After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.

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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

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

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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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Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

Photography in europe, 1945–60.

[American Troops Landing on D-Day, Omaha Beach, Normandy Coast, France]

Robert Capa

The Blackboard, Poland

David "Chim" Seymour

Prichod Noci

Josef Sudek

Otto Steinert

In the Court of the Meiji Temple, Tokyo, Japan

Werner Bischof

Lisa Hostetler Department of Photographs, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

October 2004

By the end of World War II, Europe was in disarray both physically and psychically, but the picture magazines emerged as a cultural force even more powerful than before the war. The magazines’ ability to bring the viewer to the brink of the action and to fill society’s insatiable desire to understand the scope of world events fed an ever-growing industry of visual information. This gave rise to new kind of photographer—the seasoned photojournalist, whose vision had been honed by witnessing scenes of devastation and triumph during wartime. Many wanted to continue devoting their lives to the documentation of humanity’s trials and tribulations, victories and accomplishments, and four such photographers, Robert Capa ( 1987.1100.501 ), Henri Cartier-Bresson , David “Chim” Seymour ( 59.559.70 ), and George Rodger, founded a photography agency in 1947 whose aim was to do just that. Called Magnum Photos, Inc., the enterprise was a collective in which photographers determined their own subject matter (rather than being assigned stories by a picture editor) and were supported by a staff who performed administrative and archival functions. In contrast to the scenario in play at the time, the photographer—rather than the publication or the photo agency—maintained the copyright to his or her photographs and the collective served as the primary distributor of the members’ photographs, often granting permission to publish photographs only together with the rest of the images in a photographer’s photo essay. This allowed individual photographers more control over the content and presentation of their images. Initially, Magnum divided the world into four sections, each of which was covered by a different photographer: Chim handled Europe; Cartier-Bresson India and the Far East, Rodger Africa; and Capa America (these divisions were very flexible and often overlapped as photographers followed their own interests and instincts). Other photographers soon joined the agency. Werner Bischof ( 59.559.4 ) and Ernst Haas were the first nonfounder members in 1949, and Magnum continues to add new members today. The establishment of a base for photographers who wished to serve their aesthetic and reportage impulses simultaneously was invaluable. Through Magnum, they could maintain artistic integrity and address humanitarian concerns without “selling their soul” (and their copyright) to an indifferent image market.

While Magnum photographers looked out at the world, another group of European photographers looked inward. Led by Otto Steinert ( 1991.1056 ), the movement known as Subjektive Fotografie emphasized the photographer’s ability to imbue his subject with personal and aesthetic meaning through photographic means—perspective and point of view; the use of the close-up; tonal rendering; defamiliarizing the subject through negative printing and solarization; and experimentation with time exposure. Such techniques emphasized the role of the artist in creating meaning for photographs beyond the factual reality of the objects before the camera. Although this is fundamentally true of all creative photography, Subjektive Fotografie made the demonstration of this principle a primary goal. The movement held three exhibitions, in 1951, 1954, and 1958, that included a wide range of work from artists of many different countries. Its ideas spread throughout Europe, inspiring young artists and providing a network for photographers like Josef Sudek ( 1989.1073 ) who had been creating work based on similar concepts but were isolated from the larger community of art photographers. Subjektive Fotografie’s identification and knitting together of like-minded creative photographers provided a fertile ground for the emergence of contemporary art photography in Europe today.

Hostetler, Lisa. “Photography in Europe, 1945–60.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pheu/hd_pheu.htm (October 2004)

Further Reading

Frizot, Michel, ed. A New History of Photography . Cologne: Könemann, 1998.

Additional Essays by Lisa Hostetler

• Hostetler, Lisa. “ The New Documentary Tradition in Photography .” (October 2004)
• Hostetler, Lisa. “ Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946) and American Photography .” (October 2004)
• Hostetler, Lisa. “ Group f/64 .” (October 2004)
• Hostetler, Lisa. “ Photography in Postwar America, 1945-60 .” (October 2004)
• Hostetler, Lisa. “ International Pictorialism .” (October 2004)
• Hostetler, Lisa. “ Pictorialism in America .” (October 2004)
• Hostetler, Lisa. “ The Structure of Photographic Metaphors .” (October 2004)

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• West Asia: Ancient Legends, Modern Idioms

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Artist or Maker

• Bischof, Werner
• Capa, Robert
• Cartier-Bresson, Henri
• Koudelka, Josef
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• Steinert, Otto
• Sudek, Josef
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“A Man Called Otto” Is Peak Tom Hanks In His Tito Era

“A Man Called Otto” is as funny as it is heartbreaking

I’ve been a fan of Tom Hanks ever since I watched Forrest Gump . I will defend him always and in all ways possible—even if not everything in his filmography shines (hello, Sully ). But I’m happy to announce that A Man Called Otto is worth his caliber as an actor.

The film follows—you guessed it—a man named Otto, who likes things done properly. He gets irked when people don’t recycle, when cars park in front of homes that they don’t own or rent. He shouts at people for not picking up after their dogs and when they wear too-tight leggings for their workouts. But then a young family moves in across the street, and the grumpy widower meets his match in witty, unforgiving and incredibly pregnant Marisol.

RELATED: The Biggest Bombs From “Spare” And, Honestly, Are You Okay, Prince Harry?

Warning: the film and this review show and mention suicide.

The film starts off incredibly dark. Otto is doing his rounds, complaining about people and what they do, and makes his way to his office. He’s an engineer, and it’s his last day before retirement. After shouting at the office for (1) throwing him a going away party and (2) leaving him no choice but to retire, he storms out and heads home. He gets on the phone and calls all of his utility providers, demanding that they cut their service. Then he lays out newspapers across his living room, hangs a noose on his ceiling, things get blurry—and we have suicide attempt one.

The film tends to go in circles after Otto meets Marisol and her family. Marisol, her daughters and her husband seem to write off each of his attempts; they knock on his door or have an emergency or do something so frustrating that he has to snap out of his trance. But with each failed attempt, Otto warms up a little bit more.

And throughout the film, we learn a little bit more about Otto: his relationship with his wife, Sonya, how he lost her, why they don’t have any kids, why he refuses to pack up her things. We learn that his life was black and white, and that Sonya provided the color. He says there was no life before or after her. He paints a picture of a love we can only hope to look back on one day.

What the film does spectacularly well is peel the layers of its titular character. Otto, within the first five minutes of the film, is that grumpy tito that no one wants to sit with because he complains about everything. And with each scene, another layer is peeled back to show something endearing and worth getting to know. Suddenly, it’s not just curiosity that pushes you to learn more about the character, it’s that knowledge that there’s something there that deserves to be known and understood.

A Man Called Otto goes back and forth between a warm past and a cold present—told with the help of the changing seasons. And it’s a calm thrill to watch, despite the overdone theme of a grumpy old man whose heart is warmed by a stubborn and mischievous younger character ( Up has met its match).

RELATED: Films to Watch: 2023 Edition

If you were hoping to start 2023 with a little bit of hope and faith in humanity, watch A Man Called Otto . You won’t only leave the theater with a smile on your face, you’ll feel as if the weight on your shoulder has lifted ever so slightly.

“A Man Called Otto” will have sneak previews on January 16 and 17, nationwide. The film formally hits theaters on January 25.

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Pictures That Tell Stories: Photo Essay Examples

Like any other type of artist, a photographer’s job is to tell a story through their pictures. While some of the most creative among us can invoke emotion or convey a thought with one single photo, the rest of us will rely on a photo essay.

In the following article, we’ll go into detail about what a photo essay is and how to craft one while providing some detailed photo essay examples.

What is a Photo Essay? 

A photo essay is a series of photographs that, when assembled in a particular order, tell a unique and compelling story. While some photographers choose only to use pictures in their presentations, others will incorporate captions, comments, or even full paragraphs of text to provide more exposition for the scene they are unfolding.

A photo essay is a well-established part of photojournalism and have been used for decades to present a variety of information to the reader. Some of the most famous photo essayists include Ansel Adams , W. Eugene Smith, and James Nachtwey. Of course, there are thousands of photo essay examples out there from which you can draw inspiration.

Why Consider Creating a Photo Essay?

As the old saying goes, “a picture is worth 1000 words.” This adage is, for many photographers, reason enough to hold a photo essay in particularly high regard.

For others, a photo essay allow them to take pictures that are already interesting and construct intricate, emotionally-charged tales out of them. For all photographers, it is yet another skill they can master to become better at their craft.

As you might expect, the photo essay have had a long history of being associated with photojournalism. From the Great Depression to Civil Rights Marches and beyond, many compelling stories have been told through a combination of images and text, or photos alone. A photo essay often evokes an intense reaction, whether artistic in nature or designed to prove a socio-political point.

Below, we’ll list some famous photo essay samples to further illustrate the subject.

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Famous Photo Essays

“The Great Depression” by Dorothea Lange – Shot and arranged in the 1930s, this famous photo essay still serves as a stark reminder of The Great Depression and Dust Bowl America . Beautifully photographed, the black and white images offer a bleak insight to one of the country’s most difficult times.

“The Vietnam War” by Philip Jones Griffiths – Many artists consider the Griffiths’ photo essay works to be some of the most important records of the war in Vietnam. His photographs and great photo essays are particularly well-remembered for going against public opinion and showing the suffering of the “other side,” a novel concept when it came to war photography.

Various American Natural Sites by Ansel Adams – Adams bought the beauty of nature home to millions, photographing the American Southwest and places like Yosemite National Park in a way that made the photos seem huge, imposing, and beautiful.

“Everyday” by Noah Kalina – Is a series of photographs arranged into a video. This photo essay features daily photographs of the artist himself, who began taking capturing the images when he was 19 and continued to do so for six years.

“Signed, X” by Kate Ryan – This is a powerful photo essay put together to show the long-term effects of sexual violence and assault. This photo essay is special in that it remains ongoing, with more subjects being added every year.

Common Types of Photo Essays

While a photo essay do not have to conform to any specific format or design, there are two “umbrella terms” under which almost all genres of photo essays tend to fall. A photo essay is thematic and narrative. In the following section, we’ll give some details about the differences between the two types, and then cover some common genres used by many artists.

⬥ Thematic 

A thematic photo essay speak on a specific subject. For instance, numerous photo essays were put together in the 1930s to capture the ruin of The Great Depression. Though some of these presentations followed specific people or families, they mostly told the “story” of the entire event. There is much more freedom with a thematic photo essay, and you can utilize numerous locations and subjects. Text is less common with these types of presentations.

⬥ Narrative 

A narrative photo essay is much more specific than thematic essays, and they tend to tell a much more direct story. For instance, rather than show a number of scenes from a Great Depression Era town, the photographer might show the daily life of a person living in Dust Bowl America. There are few rules about how broad or narrow the scope needs to be, so photographers have endless creative freedom. These types of works frequently utilize text.

Common Photo Essay Genres

Walk a City – This photo essay is when you schedule a time to walk around a city, neighborhood, or natural site with the sole goal of taking photos. Usually thematic in nature, this type of photo essay allows you to capture a specific place, it’s energy, and its moods and then pass them along to others.

The Relationship Photo Essay – The interaction between families and loved ones if often a fascinating topic for a photo essay. This photo essay genre, in particular, gives photographers an excellent opportunity to capture complex emotions like love and abstract concepts like friendship. When paired with introspective text, the results can be quite stunning. 

The Timelapse Transformation Photo Essay – The goal of a transformation photo essay is to capture the way a subject changes over time. Some people take years or even decades putting together a transformation photo essay, with subjects ranging from people to buildings to trees to particular areas of a city.

Going Behind The Scenes Photo Essay – Many people are fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes of big events. Providing the photographer can get access; to an education photo essay can tell a very unique and compelling story to their viewers with this photo essay.

Photo Essay of a Special Event – There are always events and occasions going on that would make an interesting subject for a photo essay. Ideas for this photo essay include concerts, block parties, graduations, marches, and protests. Images from some of the latter were integral to the popularity of great photo essays.

The Daily Life Photo Essay – This type of photo essay often focus on a single subject and attempt to show “a day in the life” of that person or object through the photographs. This type of photo essay can be quite powerful depending on the subject matter and invoke many feelings in the people who view them.

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Photo Essay Ideas and Examples

One of the best ways to gain a better understanding of photo essays is to view some photo essay samples. If you take the time to study these executions in detail, you’ll see just how photo essays can make you a better photographer and offer you a better “voice” with which to speak to your audience.

Some of these photo essay ideas we’ve already touched on briefly, while others will be completely new to you. 

Cover a Protest or March  

Some of the best photo essay examples come from marches, protests, and other events associated with movements or socio-political statements. Such events allow you to take pictures of angry, happy, or otherwise empowered individuals in high-energy settings. The photo essay narrative can also be further enhanced by arriving early or staying long after the protest has ended to catch contrasting images. 

Photograph a Local Event  

Whether you know it or not, countless unique and interesting events are happening in and around your town this year. Such events provide photographers new opportunities to put together a compelling photo essay. From ethnic festivals to historical events to food and beverage celebrations, there are many different ways to capture and celebrate local life.

Visit an Abandoned Site or Building  

Old homes and historical sites are rich with detail and can sometimes appear dilapidated, overgrown by weeds, or broken down by time. These qualities make them a dynamic and exciting subject. Many great photo essay works of abandoned homes use a mix of far-away shots, close-ups, weird angles, and unique lighting. Such techniques help set a mood that the audience can feel through the photographic essay.

Chronicle a Pregnancy

Few photo essay topics could be more personal than telling the story of a pregnancy. Though this photo essay example can require some preparation and will take a lot of time, the results of a photographic essay like this are usually extremely emotionally-charged and touching. In some cases, photographers will continue the photo essay project as the child grows as well.

Photograph Unique Lifestyles  

People all over the world are embracing society’s changes in different ways. People live in vans or in “tiny houses,” living in the woods miles away from everyone else, and others are growing food on self-sustaining farms. Some of the best photo essay works have been born out of these new, inspiring movements.

Photograph Animals or Pets  

If you have a favorite animal (or one that you know very little about), you might want to arrange a way to see it up close and tell its story through images. You can take photos like this in a zoo or the animal’s natural habitat, depending on the type of animal you choose. Pets are another great topic for a photo essay and are among the most popular subjects for many photographers.

Show Body Positive Themes  

So much of modern photography is about showing the best looking, prettiest, or sexiest people at all times. Choosing a photo essay theme like body positivity, however, allows you to film a wide range of interesting-looking people from all walks of life.

Such a photo essay theme doesn’t just apply to women, as beauty can be found everywhere. As a photo essay photographer, it’s your job to find it!

Bring Social Issues to Life  

Some of the most impactful social photo essay examples are those where the photographer focuses on social issues. From discrimination to domestic violence to the injustices of the prison system, there are many ways that a creative photographer can highlight what’s wrong with the world. This type of photo essay can be incredibly powerful when paired with compelling subjects and some basic text.

Photograph Style and Fashion

If you live in or know of a particularly stylish locale or area, you can put together an excellent thematic photo essay by capturing impromptu shots of well-dressed people as they pass by. As with culture, style is easily identifiable and is as unifying as it is divisive. Great photo essay examples include people who’ve covered fashion sub-genres from all over the world, like urban hip hop or Japanese Visual Kei. 

Photograph Native Cultures and Traditions  

If you’ve ever opened up a copy of National Geographic, you’ve probably seen photo essay photos that fit this category. To many, the traditions, dress, religious ceremonies, and celebrations of native peoples and foreign cultures can be utterly captivating. For travel photographers, this photo essay is considered one of the best ways to tell a story with or without text.

Capture Seasonal Or Time Changes In A Landmark Photo Essay

Time-lapse photography is very compelling to most viewers. What they do in a few hours, however, others are doing over months, years, and even decades. If you know of an exciting landscape or scene, you can try to capture the same image in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, and put that all together into one landmark photo essay.

Alternatively, you can photograph something being lost or ravaged by time or weather. The subject of your landmark photo essay can be as simple as the wall of an old building or as complex as an old house in the woods being taken over by nature. As always, there are countless transformation-based landmark photo essay works from which you can draw inspiration.

Photograph Humanitarian Efforts or Charity  

Humanitarian efforts by groups like Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross, and Doctors Without Borders can invoke a powerful response through even the simplest of photos. While it can be hard to put yourself in a position to get the images, there are countless photo essay examples to serve as inspiration for your photo essay project.

How to Create a Photo Essay

There is no singular way to create a photo essay. As it is, ultimately, and artistic expression of the photographer, there is no right, wrong, good, or bad. However, like all stories, some tell them well and those who do not. Luckily, as with all things, practice does make perfect. Below, we’ve listed some basic steps outlining how to create a photo essay

Steps To Create A Photo Essay

Choose Your Topic – While some photo essayists will be able to “happen upon” a photo story and turn it into something compelling, most will want to choose their photo essay topics ahead of time. While the genres listed above should provide a great starting place, it’s essential to understand that photo essay topics can cover any event or occasion and any span of time

Do Some Research – The next step to creating a photo essay is to do some basic research. Examples could include learning the history of the area you’re shooting or the background of the person you photograph. If you’re photographing a new event, consider learning the story behind it. Doing so will give you ideas on what to look for when you’re shooting.  

Make a Storyboard – Storyboards are incredibly useful tools when you’re still in the process of deciding what photo story you want to tell. By laying out your ideas shot by shot, or even doing rough illustrations of what you’re trying to capture, you can prepare your photo story before you head out to take your photos.

This process is especially important if you have little to no control over your chosen subject. People who are participating in a march or protest, for instance, aren’t going to wait for you to get in position before offering up the perfect shot. You need to know what you’re looking for and be prepared to get it.

Get the Right Images – If you have a shot list or storyboard, you’ll be well-prepared to take on your photo essay. Make sure you give yourself enough time (where applicable) and take plenty of photos, so you have a lot from which to choose. It would also be a good idea to explore the area, show up early, and stay late. You never know when an idea might strike you.

Assemble Your Story – Once you develop or organize your photos on your computer, you need to choose the pictures that tell the most compelling photo story or stories. You might also find some great images that don’t fit your photo story These can still find a place in your portfolio, however, or perhaps a completely different photo essay you create later.

Depending on the type of photographer you are, you might choose to crop or digitally edit some of your photos to enhance the emotions they invoke. Doing so is completely at your discretion, but worth considering if you feel you can improve upon the naked image.

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Best Photo Essays Tips And Tricks

Before you approach the art of photo essaying for the first time, you might want to consider with these photo essay examples some techniques, tips, and tricks that can make your session more fun and your final results more interesting. Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best advice we could find on the subject of photo essays. 

⬥ Experiment All You Want 

You can, and should, plan your topic and your theme with as much attention to detail as possible. That said, some of the best photo essay examples come to us from photographers that got caught up in the moment and decided to experiment in different ways. Ideas for experimentation include the following: 

Angles – Citizen Kane is still revered today for the unique, dramatic angles used in the film. Though that was a motion picture and not photography, the same basic principles still apply. Don’t be afraid to photograph some different angles to see how they bring your subject to life in different ways.

Color – Some images have more gravitas in black in white or sepia tone. You can say the same for images that use color in an engaging, dynamic way. You always have room to experiment with color, both before and after the shoot.

Contrast – Dark and light, happy and sad, rich and poor – contrast is an instantly recognizable form of tension that you can easily include in your photo essay. In some cases, you can plan for dramatic contrasts. In other cases, you simply need to keep your eyes open.

Exposure Settings – You can play with light in terms of exposure as well, setting a number of different moods in the resulting photos. Some photographers even do random double exposures to create a photo essay that’s original.

Filters – There are endless post-production options available to photographers, particularly if they use digital cameras. Using different programs and apps, you can completely alter the look and feel of your image, changing it from warm to cool or altering dozens of different settings.

Want to never run out of natural & authentic poses? You need this ⬇️ 

Click here & get it today for a huge discount., ⬥ take more photos than you need .

If you’re using traditional film instead of a digital camera, you’re going to want to stock up. Getting the right shots for a photo essay usually involves taking hundreds of images that will end up in the rubbish bin. Taking extra pictures you won’t use is just the nature of the photography process. Luckily, there’s nothing better than coming home to realize that you managed to capture that one, perfect photograph. 

⬥ Set the Scene 

You’re not just telling a story to your audience – you’re writing it as well. If the scene you want to capture doesn’t have the look you want, don’t be afraid to move things around until it does. While this doesn’t often apply to photographing events that you have no control over, you shouldn’t be afraid to take a second to make an OK shot a great shot. 

⬥ Capture Now, Edit Later 

Editing, cropping, and digital effects can add a lot of drama and artistic flair to your photos. That said, you shouldn’t waste time on a shoot, thinking about how you can edit it later. Instead, make sure you’re capturing everything that you want and not missing out on any unique pictures. If you need to make changes later, you’ll have plenty of time! 

⬥ Make It Fun 

As photographers, we know that taking pictures is part art, part skill, and part performance. If you want to take the best photo essays, you need to loosen up and have fun. Again, you’ll want to plan for your topic as best as you can, but don’t be afraid to lose yourself in the experience. Once you let yourself relax, both the ideas and the opportunities will manifest.

⬥ It’s All in The Details 

When someone puts out a photographic essay for an audience, that work usually gets analyzed with great attention to detail. You need to apply this same level of scrutiny to the shots you choose to include in your photo essay. If something is out of place or (in the case of historical work) out of time, you can bet the audience will notice.

⬥ Consider Adding Text

While it isn’t necessary, a photographic essay can be more powerful by the addition of text. This is especially true of images with an interesting background story that can’t be conveyed through the image alone. If you don’t feel up to the task of writing content, consider partnering with another artist and allowing them tor bring your work to life.

Final Thoughts 

The world is waiting to tell us story after story. Through the best photo essays, we can capture the elements of those stories and create a photo essay that can invoke a variety of emotions in our audience.

No matter the type of cameras we choose, the techniques we embrace, or the topics we select, what really matters is that the photos say something about the people, objects, and events that make our world wonderful.

Dream of Being a Pro Photographer?

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• Writing Tips

How to Format Images in an Essay

5-minute read

• 27th April 2022

Writing an essay ? It may enhance your argument to include some images, as long as they’re directly relevant to the essay’s narrative. But how do you format images in an essay? Read on for tips on inserting and organizing images, creating captions, and referencing.

Inserting Images

To insert an image into the text using Microsoft Word:

●  Place the cursor where you want to add a picture.

●  Go to Insert > Pictures .

●  Click on This Device to add pictures from your own computer or select Online Pictures to search for a picture from the internet.

●  Select the image you wish to use and click Insert .

See our companion blog post for further detail on inserting images into documents using Word.

Organizing Images

There are two common methods of organizing images in your essay: you can either place them next to the paragraph where they are being discussed (in-text), or group them all together at the end of the essay (list of figures). It can be clearer to display images in-text, but remember to refer to your university style guide for its specifications on formatting images.

Whichever method you decide upon, always remember to refer directly to your images in the text of your essay. For example:

●  An example of Cubism can be seen in Figure 1.

●  Cubist paintings have been criticized for being overly abstract (see Figure 1).

●  Many paintings of this style, including those by Picasso (Figure 1), are very abstract.

Every image that you include in your essay needs to have a caption. This is so that the reader can identify the image and where it came from. Each caption should include the following:

●  A label (e.g., Figure 1 ).

●  A description of the image, such as “Picasso’s Guernica ,” or “ Guernica : One of Picasso’s most famous works.”

●  The source of the image. Even if you have created the image yourself, you should attribute it correctly (for example, “photo by author”).

Have a look at this example:

Figure 1: Picasso’s Guernica

Photo: Flickr

Here, the image is given both a label and a title, and its source is clearly identified.

Creating Captions Using Microsoft Word

If you are using Word, it’s very simple to add a caption to an image. Simply follow the steps below:

●  Click on the image.

●  Open the References toolbar and click Insert Caption .

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●  Fill in or select the required details and click OK .

You can also add a caption manually.

Referencing Captions

At this point, you’ll need to refer to your style guide again to check which referencing system you’re using. As mentioned above, all sources should be clearly identified within the caption for the image. However, the format for captions will vary depending on your style guide. Here, we give two examples of common style guides:

• APA 7th Edition

The format for a caption in APA style is as follows:

Note. By Creator’s Initials, Last Name (Year), format. Site Name (or Museum, Location). URL

The image format refers to whether it’s a photograph, painting, or map you are citing. If you have accessed the image online, then you should give the site name, whereas if you have viewed the image in person, you should state the name and location of the museum. The figure number and title should be above the image, as shown:

                     Figure 1

Note . By P. Picasso (1937), painting. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/huffstutterrobertl/5257246455

If you were to refer to the image in the text of your essay, simply state the creator’s last name and year in parentheses:

(Picasso, 1937).

Remember that you should also include the details of the image in your reference list .

MLA style dictates that an image caption should be centered, and each figure labeled as “Fig.” and numbered. You then have two options for completing the caption:

1. Follow the Works Cited format for citing an image, which is as follows:

Creator’s Last Name, First Name. “Image Title.” Website Name , Day Month Year, URL.

2. Provide key information about the source, such as the creator, title, and year.

In this case, we have followed option 1:

Fig. 1. Picasso, Pablo. “Guernica.” Flickr , 1937, https://www.flickr.com/photos/huffstutterrobertl/5257246455

When referring to the image in the text of the essay, you need only cite the creator’s last name in parentheses:

And, again, remember to include the image within the Works Cited list at the end of your essay.

Expert Proofreading and Formatting

We hope this guide has left you a little clearer on the details of formatting images in your essays . If you need any further help, try accessing our expert proofreading and formatting service . It’s available 24 hours a day!a

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Sophia Bush comes out as queer, confirms relationship with Ashlyn Harris

Actor Sophia Bush came out as queer in an emotional essay in Glamour and confirmed she’s in a relationship with retired U.S. Women’s National Team soccer player Ashlyn Harris. 

“I sort of hate the notion of having to come out in 2024,” Bush wrote in a cover story for the fashion magazine published Thursday. “But I’m deeply aware that we are having this conversation in a year when we’re seeing the most aggressive attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community in modern history.” 

Bush noted that there were more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills proposed in state legislatures last year and said this motivated her to “give the act of coming out the respect and honor it deserves.” 

“I’ve experienced so much safety, respect, and love in the queer community, as an ally all of my life, that, as I came into myself, I already felt it was my home,” she wrote. “I think I’ve always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum. Right now I think the word that best defines it is queer . I can’t say it without smiling, actually. And that feels pretty great.”

The “One Tree Hill” star filed for divorce from entrepreneur Grant Hughes in August. People magazine first reported in October that Bush and Harris were dating, but neither confirmed nor commented on the report. The pair later attended an Oscar’s viewing party together in March . 

In the essay, Bush addressed online rumors that her relationship with Harris began before Harris had officially divorced from fellow soccer star Ali Krieger, in September. 

“Everyone that matters to me knows what’s true and what isn’t,” Bush wrote. “But even still there’s a part of me that’s a ferocious defender, who wants to correct the record piece by piece. But my better self, with her earned patience, has to sit back and ask, What’s the f------- point? For who? For internet trolls? No, thank you. I’ll spend my precious time doing things I love instead.”

Bush said that after news about her and Harris became public, her mom told her that a friend called and said, “Well, this can’t be true. I mean, your daughter isn’t gay .” 

“My mom felt that it was obvious, from the way her friend emphasized the word, that she meant it judgmentally,” Bush wrote. “And you know what my mom said? ‘Oh honey, I think she’s pretty gay. And she’s happy .’”

Bush wrote that she felt like she was wearing a weighted vest that she could finally put down. 

“I finally feel like I can breathe,” Bush wrote. “I turned 41 last summer, amid all of this, and I heard the words I was saying to my best friend as they came out of my mouth. ‘I feel like this is my first birthday,’ I told her. This year was my very first birthday.”

For more from NBC Out, sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Jo Yurcaba is a reporter for NBC Out.

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Penn Sustainability hosted the university’s annual Earth Week from April 20 to 26.

Since the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 , the Penn community has come together to celebrate the environment with student and faculty-led programming. This year’s Earth Week theme was “Restore and Regenerate,” featuring over 30 interdisciplinary events focused on education and climate action . The Daily Pennsylvanian photographers captured the many ways students, staff, and faculty recognized Earth Day throughout the week. 

On Earth Day, students from Fossil Free Penn taped pictures and notes to the LOVE sculpture answering the question: “What does climate justice mean to you?” Answers included “Climate Justice means putting people over profit!,” “Ending Penntrification,” and “stop greenwashing protect communities.”

Kings Court and English College House hosted a flower-pressing demonstration. Organized by Biosphere program community manager and Wharton second-year Kaitlin Cruz, the event featured flowers picked by the Kings Court and English College House garden club from the dorm’s courtyard. Throughout the rest of the week, Kings Court and English College House also hosted events like a Earth-Week-themed Quizzo on April 25 and a soap-making workshop on April 27.

Wellness at Penn hosted a wellness walk and tour of the Penn Farm, located at the southernmost tip of Penn Park. Lila Bhide, coordinator of the Penn Farm, spoke about the farm’s founding and partnerships with Penn organizations to give away produce to the community. 

Later in the day, Penn Traditions invited students to plant succulents and learn about alumni in sustainability industries at Sweeten Alumni House. 

The Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media presented a conversation between Penn professor Michael Mann and artist Gina Siepel, whose exhibit “To Understand a Tree” is on display at the Museum for Art in Wood. The two talked about the intersection between art, science, and climate change before opening for questions from the audience. 

On the last day of Earth Week, Penn Sustainability organized GreenFest, an annual Earth Day festival that brings together student clubs and Philadelphia organizations engaging in environmental and sustainability work. 

Penn Alternative Protein Club gave out samples of Bored Cow, a lactose-free milk alternative with protein from fermentation. 

My Climate Story, a research project sponsored by the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities, asked attendees to write about “a place [they] love” and how climate change was impacting that place. 

Penn’s Student Eco-Reps painted recycling bins and encouraged students to apply for the program . Eco-Reps collaborate with the university to carry out year-long projects in support of Penn’s Climate Action Plan.  

The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.

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After Looking for Love on TV, a ‘Bachelor’ Finds His Wife on Instagram

When Natalie Joy sent Nick Viall a direct message in 2019, she said she had no idea about his run on reality TV. About a year after meeting in person, their casual arrangement got serious.

By Sadiba Hasan

Nick Joseph Viall is used to his dating life being on public display. From 2014 to 2017, he appeared in four seasons of the “Bachelor” franchise: two seasons of “The Bachelorette,” one season of “Bachelor in Paradise” and, finally, “The Bachelor.”

That’s all experience that has helped inform his relationship podcast, “ The Viall Files ,” and his 2022 book, “Don’t Text Your Ex Happy Birthday: And Other Advice on Love, Sex and Dating.”

But his relationship with Natalie Joy, whom he began dating in 2019, remained out of the public eye for several years. On April 27, the couple exchanged vows on an animal farm in Savannah, Ga.

They met in September 2019, when one of Mr. Viall’s Instagram photos popped up on Ms. Joy’s Explore page. She thought he was attractive, so she decided to send him a cheeky message: “You’re unreal.”

Though he doesn’t usually respond to DMs, Ms. Joy, 25, stood out, he said, adding that he thought she was “a very beautiful woman” and was “intrigued.” They started talking on the phone and texting, but they weren’t sure if they would ever actually cross paths in person. At the time, Mr. Viall, 43, was living in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles, and Ms. Joy was living in Savannah, where she grew up.

In October 2019, Mr. Viall traveled to New York for a work engagement. (He had been an account executive at Salesforce before first appearing on “The Bachelorette” in 2014 and eventually transitioning to author, podcast host and media personality.)

Ms. Joy, who had lived in New York for two years after dropping out of high school at 15 to pursue a modeling career, flew to New York as well. The plan was to meet him in person while also catching up with old friends.

They met at the Williamsburg Hotel, had dinner and drinks and walked around Brooklyn. She had such a great time that she spent the whole weekend with him and ended up “ghosting” her friends, she said.

Neither expected much from their weekend together. “Here I was meeting a girl who lives in Savannah,” Mr. Viall said. “She’s meeting some guy who lives in L.A. That’s not necessarily a recipe for starting a relationship per se.”

But he was surprised by how much they connected, and he wanted her to meet two of his closest friends: Sharleen Joynt, a contestant on the 18th season of “The Bachelor,” and her husband, Andy Levine. Mr. Viall has known the couple since 2015, and they ultimately ended up leading the wedding ceremony on Saturday.

“I really value their opinion, and they’re pretty honest friends, so I was curious about what they thought of Natalie,” Mr. Viall said. “And they loved her instantly.”

Ms. Joynt and Mr. Levine remember meeting Ms. Joy over dinner at Ferns, a restaurant in the East Village. Mr. Viall had been their “go-to third wheel,” Ms. Joynt said. They had been an established group of three. But Ms. Joy “was such an effortless addition to our group,” Ms. Joynt said.

About a week later, Ms. Joy accepted an invitation to visit him in Los Angeles. They lounged on the beach in Venice, walked along the boardwalk, and enjoyed each other’s company. They indulged in the day-to-day activities. “It didn’t really matter what we did,” Ms. Joy said.

For the next 10 months, Mr. Viall and Ms. Joy met in Los Angeles, New York or Savannah about once a month.

At first, Ms. Joy leaned into the casual nature of their relationship and decided to just have fun with him. She was being realistic, she said, knowing that they lived far from each other. But as time progressed, she wanted something more serious.

About four months after they started seeing each other, she told him that. “Nick politely declined,” Ms. Joy said. He had been single for a while and was hesitant to enter a relationship. (As for their age difference, Mr. Viall has said that it initially “was something I was self-conscious about.”)

Binge more Vows columns here and read all our wedding, relationship and divorce coverage here .

Nevertheless, Mr. Viall still wanted to spend time with her. “Every time she left, I just always would miss her,” he said.

When the pandemic struck in March 2020, Ms. Joy flew to Los Angeles and stayed with Mr. Viall for a week. It was the most time they had spent together — that week they really got to know each other. “Up to that point, it was always like a weekend here and a weekend there,” Mr. Viall said.

After a week, she decided to return to Savannah, where her family was and where she was working as a surgical technologist for a reconstructive surgeon at Georgia Institute for Plastic Surgery. “I remember being bummed out,” Mr. Viall said.

Ms. Joy was standing her ground. She set boundaries and made sure she wasn’t investing too much time and energy into Mr. Viall, because she knew she wanted a relationship, and he was not offering that to her. But she had a feeling that he would eventually come around.

“I feel like the reason I stuck around for so long is because I genuinely always knew it was him, and I just knew he would come around at some point,” Ms. Joy said. “Every time I was with him, I felt at home. I felt super safe and protected.”

She didn’t wait around for him, though, and she continued to date other people.

One day that summer, he FaceTimed her as she was getting ready for a date, and he asked her what she was getting ready for. She told him the truth. “I didn’t have the right to get mad,” Mr. Viall said. “I was more frustrated with myself. And I respected her for sticking to her guns.”

Ms. Joy became less and less available — answering his calls less often and responding to his texts slower.

“I wasn’t fully giving her everything she deserved at the time,” Mr. Viall said. “She wasn’t going to stick around for something that was less conventional. Which I obviously always respected about her and, you know, made me really have to think long and hard about what was important to me.”

“I finally realized that even though I had my fears — you can always think of reasons not to do something that you’re worried about — that wasn’t worth losing her,” Mr. Viall added. “And so I kind of got over my insecurities or fears.”

While she was on a trip to Puerto Rico in July 2020 with her sister, he texted her and asked if they could talk. He wanted to work it out. And he told her that he loved her.

After her trip, Ms. Joy visited him in Los Angeles, and the two became exclusive. Around the same time, Mr. Viall was looking for houses in L.A.

“I remember him telling me, ‘I’m looking at these houses, and I’m picturing you in them with me,’” Ms. Joy said. She moved into his new home in Valley Village in November 2020.

“In Natalie’s presence, Nick is more relaxed,” Ms. Joynt said. The couple did their first joint interview in July 2021 on Ms. Joynt and Mr. Levine’s podcast “Dear Shandy.”

“It was really sacred to him,” Ms. Joynt said about their relationship. “Once you make something public, there’s a lot out of your control. And I think it speaks to how precious he saw this relationship, that he wanted to keep it as private as he did.”

Ms. Joynt added that she and Mr. Levine had met other women Mr. Viall had dated. And they had heard about many others. But, “most of them never got past the starting point.” (Mr. Viall had become engaged on his season of “The Bachelor,” but the engagement ended later that year .)

In January 2023, Mr. Viall proposed by organizing a fake movie screening for Tom Hanks’s film “A Man Called Otto.” He convinced her they would be attending by making a fake flier with details including the address and dress code, and booked a venue in Venice, Create Studios. Mr. Viall even hired extras who stood in line with her to enter the venue. When she entered, though, the floor was decorated with 200 candles, and a big screen in the back of the room began playing a prerecorded video of Mr. Viall speaking to the camera.

“Thank you for falling in love with me and making me feel safe enough to fall in love with you,” Mr. Viall said in the video , while crying. “I know when we first met, I was a tough nut to crack. It probably felt like it was tough to get me to open up. So thank you so much for being patient with me.”

“Look up by the stairs,” Mr. Viall said in the video. There he was in the flesh, walking down the staircase to propose.

In February, the couple welcomed their daughter, River Rose Viall. Mr. Viall, who grew up in Milwaukee, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and supply chain management. In addition to his podcast, which is under his media company, Envy Media, Mr. Viall is a host and relationship expert on the unscripted show, “ Patti Stanger: The Matchmaker .”

Ms. Joy, who returned to high school and graduated, received a degree in surgical technology from Savannah Technical College. She currently works as a surgical technologist for Dr. Mehryar Ray Taban, an ocular facial surgeon based in Beverly Hills. She is also a regular on “The Viall Files.”

On April 27, the couple were wed before 164 guests at Magnolia Farm and Stables, an animal farm in Savannah owned by Ms. Joy’s sister. Mr. Levine, who was ordained through the American Marriage Ministries for the occasion, led the ceremony, with Ms. Joynt taking part.

The theme of the wedding was “Vogue on the farm,” Mr. Viall said. “Very posh, very elegant, but it’s on an animal farm,” Ms. Joy added.

JoJo Siwa , Josh Peck, the actor formerly of “Drake & Josh,” and Katie Maloney from “Vanderpump Rules” were among the guests. Ms. Joy wore a gown by Macye Wysner of Cinq, while Mr. Viall was gifted a tuxedo by Hugo Boss for the ceremony.

The couple had a “country chic” welcome party the Friday before the wedding, leaning into Ms. Joy’s Southern roots with a mechanical bull, a vat of boiled peanuts and lots of cowboy hats, suede, fringe and denim.

The theme was unrelated to the current cowboy hype : “I’ve rode horses for a while. That farm has been in my family for a while,” Ms, Joy said. “Natalie’s always been a bit of a country girl,” Mr. Viall added.

On This Day

When April 27, 2024

Where Magnolia Farm and Stables, Savannah, Ga.

‘Vogue on the Farm’ Guests took local trolleys to the farm for a sunset ceremony with handwritten vows. Rescue animals wandered around the 280-acre property farm: miniature cows, baby goats, horses and peacocks. A lake, willow trees and twinkling lanterns served as the backdrop.

A Do Over Ms. Joy walked down the aisle with their daughter in her arms before handing the baby to her mother. At the altar, after Mr. Levine began his speech, Ms. Joy realized that her train and veil were bunched up. She stopped the ceremony, readjusted her accessories, and they started from the top.

Late-night Waffle House Guests dined on traditional Southern fare and late at night, they indulged in Waffle House, which had been gifted and was served from a food truck.

Sadiba Hasan reports on love and culture for the Styles section of The Times. More about Sadiba Hasan

Weddings Trends and Ideas

‘Edible Haute Couture’: Bastien Blanc-Tailleur, a luxury cake designer based in Paris, creates opulent confections for high-profile clients , including European royalty and American socialites.

Reinventing a Mexican Tradition: Mariachi, a soundtrack for celebration in Mexico, offers a way for couples to honor their heritage  at their weddings.

Something Thrifted: Focused on recycled clothing , some brides are finding their wedding attire on vintage sites and at resale stores.

Brand Your Love Story: Some couples are going above and beyond to personalize their weddings, with bespoke party favors and custom experiences for guests .

Going to Great Lengths : Mega wedding cakes are momentous for reasons beyond their size — they are part of an emerging trend of extremely long cakes .

Popping the Question: Here are some of the sweetest, funniest and most heartwarming ways that c ouples who wed in 2023 asked, “Will you marry me? ”