Lessons 23–24: Ed Kashi—Storytelling

Ed Kashi—Storytelling

Lessons 23–24

C

aring, passion, and curiosity are the key elements to great storytelling.

You must be genuinely interested in the stories and images you are

pursuing; otherwise, you will not have the commitment needed

to stay focused and engaged in your work. For many photographers, the

overall goal of their work is to tell stories that illuminate the world and raise

awareness of issues they care about.

Planning a Story in Pictures

Stories usually start with one idea that piques your interest, such as the

desire to learn about another culture. With that idea in mind, do as much

research as you can to gain in-depth knowledge about your subject. If you’re

LQWHUHVWHGLQDFXOWXUH¿QGRXWDERXWLWVKLVWRU\SROLWLFVUHOLJLRQOLWHUDWXUH

art, and more. You might then create a shot list for yourself, derived from

conversations with experts and other information gleaned from your

research. Some ideas on your list may not pan out, but the list will serve

as an ideal to work toward. Be open to serendipitous moments, too, where

elements come together that you couldn’t plan but that say something about

your story. Telling a story in photographs is a combination of thinking in

advance about what you need and recognizing and seizing on opportunities.

An all-important image for every story is a sense-of-place picture. What does

WKHHQYLURQPHQWORRNOLNH"+RZFDQ\RXFUHDWHDPRRGDQGVKRZZKHUHWKH

VWRU\WDNHVSODFH"<RXDOVRQHHGLPDJHVWKDWLOOXVWUDWHWKHSULPDU\DVSHFWV

of your subject, such as the main issue you’re trying to call attention to. To

deepen your story, include details and close-ups, as well—perhaps just the

hands of your subject. Think of your images as a road map that takes your

viewer on a visual journey.

Layering and Lighting

An important aspect of telling stories with photographs is to create layered

images. Use the foreground, middle ground, and background of your

photographs to tell a story within a story. For example, in a story about a