Telling Stories with your Photos

[thenimirra]

So the Denver Post photography editor took a look at my website and said that I had some good images but I needed to work on telling stories with my photos.

How do you tell more stories with your images and can you post some up here so I can get a better idea of what he's talking about. I've been doing some reading on the differences between photojournalism and just craft photography. It seems to me that telling stories with your image is more difficult.....

[ColoradoSkier]

Without a doubt it is. A picture like this is just a picture of a building:

http://static.flickr.com/2050/1535567584_0db0478a55_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bullockfam/1535567584/)

But a picture like this tells a story (which is easily open to individual interpretation):
http://static.flickr.com/157/353696817_3f8ad74d23_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/anh-bi/353696817/)

There has to be enough going on for the observer to draw some conclusions about.
http://static.flickr.com/2108/1524267180_910e31767a_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajschroetlin/1524267180/)

I like photography for the photos and showing people things that I have seen, through my eyes. Rarely do I take one in the interest of telling a story, because that is not of interest to me. My interests lie more along the lines of architecture, weather, history, aviation and nature/ landscapes (and my family of course). My pictures reflect that.

[Tiffany]

I got this one :D

Photojournalist usually only get one photo to convey their story in the paper. This means that the photo has to sum up the emotions of the story.

Let's say that you are assigned to photograph a miltary funeral...you take your shots, but in the end...the photo of the little boy being handed tha folded flag from his dads coffin as he stands stoically strong is what gets printed.

That image tells the story.

Photojournalism is so different from just regular photography. The telling of the story is what it is about.

Right now I am weighing the choice of going to CCA and just taking general photo classes or going back to Metro to get a secondary degree in PhotoJournalism (they sure as hell didnt offer this when I got my degree back in the day).

I have a standing offer to go back to the Rocky and do some work...if I pursue the PJ degree then I could end up doing photos for them.

[thenimirra]

hmm...so my initial thoughts were correct in noticing the differences between photography as art and photography as journalism.

I'll have to consider which one I like doing better....it's something to think about.

[Tiffany]

hmm...so my initial thoughts were correct in noticing the differences between photography as art and photography as journalism.

I'll have to consider which one I like doing better....it's something to think about.
Yep, exactly.

They are two distinct styles for sure. Although a lot of photojournalist are making successful careers as wedding photogs with the turn toward more photojournalistic wedding shoots.

It's the decision that I am stuck in right now...

[Tiffany]

Amazing, heart wrenching example:

http://www.capturelifeinaction.com/photos/209177857-O.jpg

This picture just crushed me tonight. We lost our oldest daughter to meningitis 2 1/2 years ago. Today would have been her 10th birthday. Not posed- in fact my wife had to kick me and point to get me to take the shot.