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It is possible for a single photo to tell a whole story; It’s a logical thing to wonder, of course, you can’t embody exposition, complication, and resolution in one image, but a single image can definitely convey character, setting, and plot, thus telling a story.
The following ways will help you improve your storytelling no matter the genre you have chosen to focus on.
- Be mindful of your composition: As a photographer, you will find yourself in an unpredictable and unchanging environment where you don’t have to consider the norm. However, you still need to manage the space when framing your shot. For your photo to tell a story, it should be free of distractions. Make sure your subject is placed prominently in the scene and don’t include more supporting elements than are absolutely necessary to avoid distraction.
- Have a planned story or subject matter: Your subject of interest matters so much that it will be portrayed in your works. One very key piece of advice is to shoot what you have an interest in or what you like. When you take up what you love it will be less difficult to express your opinion through whatever medium you have decided to explore. Choose a subject matter and let your passion and story resonate in your works.
- Be evocative: You don’t need to look for violent stories or dreadful events to be a great storyteller, all you need is to tell a unique story filled with originality that can easily connect emotions amongst the viewers.
Storytelling in photography is about what you know and not what you see. It is no longer news that good storytelling in photography is challenging, but if this is your goal, the thoughts presented above will hopefully provide something of an outline to follow as you embark on your journey to incorporate interesting stories into your photography.
