How to tell a story with photography: 8 helpful tips

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Together with we will tell you how to find a catchy subject for a photo and make a frame that everyone will remember.

Prepare yourself

A flair for plots comes with experience. If you don't have one yet, train your observation by studying the work of other photographers. These can be eminent professionals: reportage photographers - Yuri Kozyrev, Alex Webb; portrait painters - Steve McCurry, Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino; street photographers - Eric Kim, Maciej Dakovich. Or lesser-known authors from Instagram, whose work seems especially interesting to you. You shouldn't copy other people's pictures, but you can look for inspiration in them and find ideas for steep angles or plots.

If you are going to take photographs in a famous location, such as Red Square in Moscow or the Champ de Mars in Paris, search the web for photos of him. This way you can avoid repetition and take more unusual shots.

Before a photo hunt, you can enter ideas for future shots in a notebook. It's not worth describing them in detail, just think about what you want to capture and what plans you need to use for this.

Pay attention to details

In order for the viewer to want to look at the frame, you need to add life and mysteries to it. If you are photographing outdoors, look around and find interesting people in the crowd. They can stand out for their original appearance or be in an unusual situation, for example, sleeping on a bench.

When it comes to a portrait photo, take a closer look at the hero and find a detail in his appearance that will help tell his story. These can be external features, such as expressive eyes (think of the photo of "Afghan Girl" taken by photojournalist Steve McCurry for National Geographic), or items that are dear or necessary to him (fishing rod or tackle for an avid fisherman). Details can be emphasized or part of a larger plot.

The right details can help tell a story, even if you're shooting a still life. Collect elements in the frame that will create a common plot and will not conflict with each other. For example, put a portfolio, postcards from the cities of the world, a camera and an air ticket next to you - and here is a visual story about a traveler without a person in the frame.

Capturing cool storytelling is easy with the camera. With a wide range of interchangeable lenses, you can surprise everyone with high-quality macro photography or breathtaking wide-format photography. The autofocus and manual focus functions help you bring out important details.

Especially for aspiring photographers, the Canon EOS M200 has a Creative Assistant feature that will tell you which settings to choose for a particular shot. The picture can be processed right in the camera using ready-made presets. In the camera settings, there are scene programs (portrait, landscape or close-up) and creative filters ("Fisheye", "Watercolor", black and white frame). To send the finished photo to a smartphone or laptop, no wires are needed: the camera can be connected to other devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

Control the entire frame, not just the central subject

Details can also play against you if they are out of place. There will not always be a chance to cut out the ridiculous element that sticks out of the composition with the help of cropping or a photo editor.

Take a close look at what enters the lens. Notice the unnecessary - move the camera to the side, forward and backward, or move yourself. You can also try to reduce the scale of the photo or, if possible, manually remove the obstacle from the frame.

Take a series of photos

Capture at least 5-10 shots in one location using different shots, angles, genres and camera settings. For example, take a few photos of the whole street, then a couple of shots of a particular person, then noticeable details - for example, a portfolio full of papers or a hastily buttoned jacket.

From the resulting set of photos, you can choose the one that speaks most or use them all together, making a collage or gallery.

Capture emotions

A good shot should make the viewer empathize with the hero of the shot, no matter what is depicted on it: a person, an animal or an object. The shot should evoke emotion: positive or negative. To do this, you need to fix this very emotion.

Sometimes it is easy to catch it (for example, in reportage photographs from the scene), sometimes it is difficult (for portrait photography). In the second case, you need to establish contact with the hero and help him relax. Spend some time together and chat about something. When you notice that the person is no longer shy and feels comfortable, start filming.

To capture an emotional landscape, observe the location. Think about how it makes you feel, and try to capture them in the lens. Here again details will help: a broken tree, a flower, an animal or an insect.

Keep track of composition and light

Nice drop shadows and correct placement of accents in the frame will help make a good shot. And with their help, you can also add a plot to the picture. If you want to draw attention to a specific detail in a photo:

• Use the rule of thirds … Divide the image with two vertical and two horizontal lines to create four intersection points. Place the centerpiece of your photo in one of them.
• Find frames or pointers … For example, a bridge, an arch, tree crowns, an alley, a doorway. With their help, you can select the desired object in the photo and, conversely, hide something by creating a riddle.
• Create depth … Place the details in the foreground, middle and background. Then the picture will be perceived more voluminously.

Light can also affect depth by placing it behind the subject. Here are a few more ways to use light and shadow for storytelling:

• Put the light source on the side … This will help make the main character of the frame non-flat, add shadows and emphasize details.
• Use curtains, tulle or other obstructions for the light … Solid curtains will soften harsh sunlight. If they have slits or texture (for example, lace tulle), they will add shadows to the shape.
• Color the light … Take a brightly colored balloon, umbrella, or other translucent object and position it so that it obscures the sun or other light source.

Don't be afraid to experiment

Sometimes, to create a frame with a story, familiar angles will not be enough. Non-standard poses will help to find a winning angle of shooting: try to lie down or sit on the ground, climb higher on the stairs. An example of a successful unusual angle is a photograph of Elizabeth II taken by Toby Melville in 2019. The photographer shot the Queen from above as she walked through St Paul's Cathedral in London. The floor of the building looks like a chessboard: it turned out that the queen makes a move like the figure of the same name in a board game.

And don't hesitate to use your camera when surrounded by people. It's easier to get a live photo with history on the street than in other conditions: see how the work of street photographers, such as Zun Li or Lucas Washak, looks spectacular.

It's easy to experiment with. The camera has an optical image stabilizer that allows you to take clear shots even in motion. Thanks to the flip-down touchscreen, you can take selfies or quickly capture interesting scenes that happen behind you. In addition, the Canon EOS M200 will cope with difficult weather conditions: it can withstand temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius and humidity up to 85%.

Consider post-processing

The creation of a story and the transmission of emotions is influenced not only by the composition of the frame, but also by its design. Try to play with the picture in the photo editor: change the contrast, warmth, exposure, white balance. And add color filters - the prevailing shades will help adjust the overall mood of the picture. For example:

• Red adds expression - strength, passion, anger;
• Orange helps convey confidence;
• yellow gives the frame energy and a sense of happiness;
• green conveys a sense of calm and tranquility;
• Navy blue conveys sadness or even fear.

Another way to change the mood of a photo is to make it black and white. This technique will help to draw more attention to detail, the emotions of the characters and the plot.