Finding the Perfect Story A guide to create an effective photo story.
Photos, text and graphics by Peyton Hobson, November 2011. 1
So. You’re sent out to create a photo story. You may be asking yourself questions such as, “What is a photo story? Where do I find one? What is considered a good story? What different types of pictures should I include in my photo story?” and much more. Well, Have no fear. This guide will help you with all of those questions, and more. The pictures in this e-magazine, in whole, consist of a photo story that I have done personally a few weeks ago. I will frequently be relating back to these pictures. However, these pictures create a photo story. A photo story is a group of pictures used for either news or a feature, that tells a story with pictures instead of text. Usually a good photo story consists of 7-10 good photographs that visually represent the idea you’re trying to
convey. However, a photo story is usually about one person, not a concept. A concept, such as doing drugs, would be considered a photo essay, not a photo story. However, if you focus on one person doing drugs, it could be a photo story. The pictures, in the picture story I provided, all play their part in representing the life of a Bowling Green itinerant art teacher, Cassie Lloyd. A good story consists of emotion, depth and interest. A good question to ask yourself is, “Why should I care about this person?” If you don’t come up with a reasonable answer, then most likely the story isn’t good enough. We should care about Cassie Lloyd because she has to take care of 1,002 children a week. Two of those children are her own, a four-month-old and a 7-year-old; the other 1,000 are the students she has to teach at three different elementary schools
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around Bowling Green every week. Not to mention, she lives an hour away and buys gas three times a week. She suffers with so many students, she enjoys being with her family. She has depth. That is why we should care about her. There are different types of pictures that you need to include in your photo story that display variety. There should be pictures that display a sense of place, a detail shot, and interaction. The pictures I chose I chose to represent a sense of place consist of the first three pictures on the third page, and the first picture on the fourth page. They explain the three different schools she teaches at and a glimpse of her home life. The detail picture is the picture I chose to be the title page for this guide, which consists of a picture she drew of herself when she was three. The pictures I chose for in-
teraction conssits of the rest of the pictures. She is sharing intimate moments wtih her children. It’s good to provide visual variety so you can keep your audience entertained. The order you choose for the pictures should relate to how to best display your works to the audience, as well. When you look for a photo story, you need to have an idea in mind of what you would want to do. Come up with a topic. For example, you could do foreign exchange student. First ask around, and see if anyone you know knows anyone that would be intersting. Secondly, talk to international centers around town, and they could possibly know of someone that you can do a story on. Be persistent, but kind at the same time. Make sure you let your subject know you mean no harm. You could appear to be the paparazzi.
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A good photo story takes time. Make sure you get to know your subjects ahead of time. Let them know the objective you’re trying to achieve with your story. A good photo story will also require more than two visits with your subject. Be strong. It can be scary the first time you do a photo story. However, remember what photojournalists are all about. Photojournalists are here to let others know what’s going on, and to spread ideas. I think it’s ridiculous Cassie Lloyd is responsible for 1,000 students, and I want the world to know her story.
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