AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY JUNE 2016 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 41
subject. Another important aspect should be the decision to
represent the narrative in colour or monochrome. When post-
processing a series of images it’s good practice to keep your
editing treatment consistent – this will help make the
images flow.
02
Single shot or a series?
Often it’s a point of discussion on photography forums
whether one narrates better stories with a single image versus a
series of images. In this regard it’s important to remember that
a single image is only a “half truth”, because it never tells you
the fundamental of a story, which is, “Why?”.
What does this mean? When talking about photographs,
an image might be partly true but it is only part of the whole
truth and a snapshot of the bigger picture. This leaves part of
our brain to interpret the image on it’s own, therefore making
it difficult to always understand the photographer’s message.
Not all single images tell a story. One must remember a photo
essay is nothing but the compilation of multiple single images
- these are the units of the visual narrative. Each single picture
is a chapter in the story, and each chapter will unfold towards
the climax.
On the other hand, a series of photographs allows the brain
to process each image as a whole. A series of images emphasises
several ideas, whereas a single image usually emphasises just one
idea. Keep in mind that the first and last images in a series are
the most important. These are called ‘goal images’ – the type of
images that open and close the series to grab a viewer’s attention.
It’s no different from judging a book by its cover – a strong
opening shot will stop people and hold them in the story from
start to finish.03
Take stronger images
You may have some brilliant pictures that are
technically perfect; however, there are two particular elements
that make a strong image even stronger for a photo essay.
Firstly, the images should be emotive to have some kind of
emotional impact on your viewer. Not all images must contain
a human element to be emotionally moving; rather it could
be anything from a landscape to a still life. The images should
evoke strong emotional feeling in the viewer’s psyche.
Secondly, the images should be thoughtfully layered with
meaning. This is how you engage your viewer’s attention for a
longer period of time. This is usually the most difficult process
of telling a story with photographs.
You may not be able to consciously shoot images with