Essential Question(s):
What is a photo-essay?
How can I plan my own “thematic” or “story” photo essay?
Creating a photo essay is a combination of art and journalism. As with a written essay, the elements of a photo essay should be structured in a way that easily conveys a story to the viewer. Each individual photo contributes to the overall story, theme, and emotions of the essay. The photos you choose must not only be compositionally and artistically strong, but also informative and educational. Finding photos that have both qualities can be very challenging, but the result can be very powerful. There are two types of photo essays: the narrative and the thematic. The narrative essay tells a story through a sequence of events or actions. They may follow an individual or activity over a period of time and present this story in chronological order. A thematic photo essay focuses on a central theme (e.g. homelessness, the environment, etc.) and presents photos relevant to that theme.
From http://www.collectivelens.com/blog/creating-photo-essay
1. DIN: Read the brainstorm packet. Copies available here and here but I will be passing out hard copies for you.
2. Fill out your brainstorm packet using notes and sketches. See example and refer to your list from last class. Write lots. Some ideas will be thrown out, of course. Each photo in your final essay should be of high quality and be able to stand alone as a great image.
Think about how you will use the following compositional principles. Try to use as many of these as you can. Include your ideas for these on your brainstorms. http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules
· Rule of thirds
· Variety of sizes and shapes of photos
· Balancing Elements
· Leading lines
· Symmetry and Patterns
· Viewpoint
· Background
· Depth
· Framing
· Cropping
