THE

PHOTOGRAPHIC
STORY
HOW TO USE STORYTELLING TO MAKE MORE POWERFUL PHOTOGRAPHS

DAVID DUCHEMIN
*TWO NOTES
ONE This is a book about story as it ap-
plies to creative photography, not journal-
ism, and while the elements of story will be
the same for both, the needs, methods, and
ethics of a photographer telling stories as a
journalist will be different.

TWO This eBook has a companion vid-

eo. Think of it as a 40-minute conversation
with me, walking you through some imag-
es and talking a little bit more about some
of the ideas in this book. You can download
that video by clicking the iPad below.
01
INTRODUCTION
This book is about the power of connec-
tion through one of the oldest and most
powerful means of human communica-
tion: story. Its a book about the way the
photograph can relay impact and infor-
mation in one of the most powerful ways
possible.
Humans are storytelling creatures, and
have been for millennia. Stories enter-
tain us and inform us, give us hooks upon
which to hang the events of our lives,
and help us assign meaning to those
events. We have told those stories in dif-
ferent ways over the last few thousands
of yearssometimes orally, sometimes
written, and often visually.
Photographers are heir to a long tra-
dition of visual storytelling, beginning
with cave paintings that we can still find
today in the caves of France, and even-
tually to more sophisticated forms of
the same medium. Fast forward to the
20th Century, and moving pictures and
the photograph have become not only
some of our most common cultural ex-
periences in shared story, but the most
powerful.
Story is the theme of this book, but I
should remind you not all photographs
must contain story any more than all
paintings or books must do so. There
are powerful paintings that tell no story,
just as there are powerful poems; they
have their own power. But if you hope to
tell stories in your photographs and use
those to convey impact or information,
understanding the elements of story will
help.
We talk a lot about photographs that tell
stories, but there are times I dont think
we really understand what we mean by
that. Ask most photographers what the
basic elements of story are and theyll
look at you like they dont understand
the question. I hope to fix that.
I hope youll finish this book with a better
sense of why stories matter and how to
best incorporate the elements of story-
telling into your photographs. We all do
this differently, but the same elements
will play out over and over again to the
same kind of powerful effect and con-
nection storytellers have hoped for since
we began telling stories in the first place.
Already a graphically interesting photograph, this image leverages setting, character,
relationship, and action to create a sense of story and engage the imagination of the
reader of the image. Who is the woman? Is that her dog? Is she meeting someone at the
cafe, or has she just left the same cafe, and with whom did she meet?
02
ELEMENTS OF STORY
CHARACTER
Im not sure its possible to rank the el-
ements of story in order of importance.
They all matter, and without them the
whole story suffers and will fail to con-
nect; if it does that, then it fails to create
the desired impact or communicate the
information. Nevertheless, in most sto-
ries it is the characters you meet first.
Characters give us the chance to estab-
lish relationships within the story and
that allows us to createor showcon-
flict (discussed in greater detail in Chap-
ter 6). They also give us something in the
story about which to care deeply. I think
story succeeds largely because of the
human capacity for empathy. If we dont
care about the characters in the story,
the impact is lost. But because humans
are, for the most part, hard-wired to em-
pathize, we can feel the pain that charac-
ters feel.
Those characters can be human, cer-
tainly, but they need not be. Theres no
reason why the main characters cant be
wild animals or even inanimate objects,
so long as they are placed on a stage with
other characters and given a chance to
have an implied relationship, or engage
in some implied conflict. A chair, in the
right setting, can be lonely and aban-
doned, and imply a story. A dog waiting
mournfully at the foot of a coffin or an
empty doorway can imply a story. So
can a seedling pushing its way through
a crack in pavement, or a bloody knife ly-
ing beside a childs toy, to use a more ma-
cabre example. All of them imply a story,
as long as other elements are there.
The questions you might consider about
character in your photographs are these:
Who are my characters?
Are they clear?
Are they essential or do I have too
many? Could I reduce the impact or
role of unnecessary characters with
more intentional choices of depth or
field, lenses, or where I position the
camera?
 What am I revealing about my charac-
ters? Am I doing so in a way that others
will care about those characters?
What role do my chosen characters
play in this story? Is that clear enough
to engage the attention of the readers
of my image? We dont have to reveal
all (as the chapter on mystery will dis-
cuss), but we need enough visual cues
to get invested in the story.
The questions others will likely ask when
they see your photographs is this: who
are the characters, and do I care?
You can do a lot to make others care
about the characters. You can be clear
about the role of that character, even if
we dont know who they are: a soldier
rescuing a brother-in-arms, a firefighter,
a mothering figure, a nurturer, a protec-
tor. These are roles, and the more univer-
Who are your
characters? Are they
clear? Will others care
about them?
sal those roles become, the closer they
get to archetypes, and the more readi-
ly they will be identified at our deepest
level.
You can use your choice of moment
to portray emotion either on a face or
through body language: are they smil-
ing, crying, slouched over, reaching for
something, doing something that tells
us something is happening? Choice of
moment is important because while the
real-life person (i.e., character) in your
photograph might be doing something
very clear in one second followed by an-
other in real life, unless you choose the
moment that best powerfully represents
that thing in a still frame, you will create
neither empathy nor understanding. Yes,
that character might be crying or angry,
but unless you choose the moment that
shows me that as clearly and powerfully
as possible, youll have failed to connect
with me, and failed to really tell the story.
A well-dressed gentleman in Italy. A grandfather perhaps, or a father?
His posture, his clothing, and his choice of restaurant all allow the read-
er of the image to fill in the blanks. His gesture and the curious gaze up
and out of the frame also directs our eyes there and engages us: at what
unrevealed character is he looking?
The man in this photograph is unidentifiable but that doesnt mean
you cant infer certain things about him, and most importantly that
you cant feel certain things about him; empathy for his loneliness,
perhaps, based not only on his solitude but his posture. Who is he?
Whats he doing? Why is he alone?
Creative
Exercise
Pull a dozen photographs
that you think tell a strong
story and study them. Can
you identify the main charac-
ters? Can you identify what
role they play in the story?
Why are they there, in this
particular story? If something
were to happen either to
them (or by them), would you
care? Why? Why not? Arent
you at least curious?
In the image on the next
page, there are four charac-
ters: two soldiers, one man
on a bicycle, and a pigeon.
The man on the bicyclehis
clothes, his bike, the easy-go-
ing way he seems to have
about himall of this says
something about him, and
about the possible relation-
ship between him and the
others. He doesnt seem out
to get the pigeon, nor does
he seem to be making a get-
away in fleeing from the
soldiers. But the soldiers in
battle fatigues do suggest
something is up, and they
play a role in establishing the
setting of where and when is
this story playing out.
Im curious about these char-
acters. Wheres this guy off
to in such a hurry? Where are
the soldiers going? What kind
of threat exists that theyre
even present?
03
ELEMENTS OF STORY
SETTING
Where your story takes place is a ques-
tion of context. Not many stories take
place without a settinga world in
which the characters interact. The ques-
tion isnt really, Is there a setting? The
questions are:
How much of the setting or context do I
provide?
How much of a role does it play, and spe-
cifically, what role does it play?
What is the relationship between the char-
acters and the setting?
Setting as Context
In many cases, the setting gives us infor-
mation about the characters and tells us
how to experience them. Characters can
be consistent with setting, so showing
a man in a beret in Paris would give the
reader a sense of where he is and would
tell one kind of story. Or they can be in
contrast to their setting; showing a Maa-
sai warrior in Paris would be a juxtaposi-
tion with the context and would show a
whole other story.
Setting as Character
Setting can also play a more significant
role in an image. A man in a rowboat on
the raging ocean and fighting the waves
would be an example of man vs. nature
kind of conflict (discussed in Chapter 6)
and in this case the waves or the weather
would become characters of their own,
playing a much larger role in the story.
Your Choices
We can include or exclude details about
setting to more clearly tell our story.
Knowing whether those details helps
tell the story or makes the story weak-
er is important. For example, does a shift
in your camera position allow you to in-
clude background signage in Arabic and
therefore give more clarity, or would that
only take away from the impact playing
out in a human drama in front of you
wherein setting is irrelevant? Either way,
your choices will change how we experi-
ence the story in your photograph.
 Setting need not always be specific, only enough to tell the story. If its important
that the story be told in one place and not another, its our job to provide the vi-
sual cues to indicate that. Here the setting is Antarctica, specifically, but generally
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Creative
Exercise
Not every story has to have a
strong setting. But when the
setting matters, especially as
it relates to the characters, the
action, or the theme, youve
got to make it count.
Like the last exercise, I want
you to look at a handful of
your own images. Why not
use the ones youve just fin-
ished looking at? Start there.
Which images have a strong
sense of place? What visual
cues give them that sense of
place? Could you have made
those cues even stronger?
Would that have helped the
story? Is the connection be-
tween the place and the char-
acters clear? Does the setting
act in some ways as a charac-
ter?
In the image on the next
page, the setting matters. It
provides the juxtaposition,
and makes the action signif-
icant. But it doesnt matter
that this is Italy, so those cues
werent important to leave
in. The man walking one way
against the implied direction
of the signs is all we need to
read a story into this. Asking
yourself what role setting
plays helps you decide what
to leave in and what to leave
out.
04
ELEMENTS OF STORY
ACTION / CHANGE
Something has to happen for story to
take place. It might be just happening in
the present moment of the photograph,
it might just have happened, or it might
be about to happen, but without at least
the possibility of change or action, there
can be no story.
Showing action in a moving picture se-
quence is easier than in a single frame.
We see the initial state, the action, and
the resulting change. In a photograph, it
is the choices of the photographer which
determine what we see, which details
we are given, and what raw materials our
imagination has to work with to fill in the
rest. Our choice of moment is import-
ant: the action has to be given its best
expression in the frame. Is the boy about
to throw the ball, is he throwing it, or has
he thrown it? The story changes depend-
ing on what is happening and you tell
us that by which moment you freeze in
the frame. At what point in the action of
throwing the ball is the boy in the pho-
tograph best interpreted as throwing it?
Can I see the ball? Is the throw hard and
fast or slow and friendly? Is he throwing
it to someone or at someone? All these
change the story and its not just about
whats happening in the actual event,
its how well you make me feel or under-
stand whats happening.
Not only is your choice of moment ab-
solutely key, but how you best express
that moment. For example, where you
place the camera can change the way
we interpret or feel about the action.
A man is running. Place him on the left
coming into the scene and the action is
interpreted as arriving. Place him on the
right, leaving the frame, and that same
action is interpreted as leaving. Same ac-
tion, but potentially a very different sto-
ry.
How can you make that action as clear
as possible and give it enough informa-
tion that to me, the reader of your im-
age, that action has meaning? Dont tell
me everything, but tell me enough. You
might want to give me enough clues
that I can answer questions like why is
this happening, to whom, by whom, and
with what results?
The action in this image from a coffee shop in Istanbul seems clear, if subtle. Both men,
perhaps a father with his son, share a bench with their water pipes. One pays attention
to the other while that one pays attention to his phone. We dont know precisely what is
about to happen, but its imminent. Does he ask the son to put the phone away, does he
ask his son to give him his phone back, did an important call just come that will change
both their lives? What actually happened may not be important, but its the elements of
story that engage us and keep us interested, and perhaps invested, in the characters.
The gesture of the boy implies something is about to happen. Is he about to fall? Did his
sister push him? Is she going to hang on to him and stop him from falling?

To me, this image is about play, but I was there so I know the fuller story that existed
both before and after the moment. You will have the luxury of being able to play this
story out in several ways, all of them creating an engagement with the photograph that
would be less likely to happen if there was no story here, no characters you care about,
and/or no imminent action or change.
05
ELEMENTS OF STORY
RELATIONSHIPS
Being clear about the relationships be-
tween characters will help you tell your
story. And if the relationship itself is im-
portant, finding ways to show the nature
of that relationship will be key to a story
that is not only shown, but also felt.
The best wedding photographs do this
well. They go beyond an image of a bride
in white and a groom in black. They do
more than show you a picture; they tell
you a story. They show you stolen mo-
ments that are about intimacy, or shared
laughter that tells us how the couple
plays together. They can show deeply
human things like how they trust and
nurture. Those things are a matter of
moment and knowing the power of that
choice as a photographer.
As mentioned, the characters do not have
to be human. For example, they can be
animals, like a photograph of a dog and
a cat. Which moment you choose and
which action you show reveals that rela-
tionship. Is it a story about the friendship
between a cat and a dog, or is it a story
about the animosity between them, or
is it something more complicated than
that? The characters can also be inani-
mate, such as an old church building re-
flected in the newer mirrored surface of
the building of a financial corporation.
It might be a story about cooperation,
competition, or even the power of the
one eclipsing the fading power of the
other. Moment might play a less signif-
icant role here, but what you imply with
perspective and lens choices might tell a
powerful story.
One of the best ways you can tell (or
imply) your story is through the rela-
tionships of characters. Who they are to
each other will suggest the kind of ac-
tion or conflict (discussed in Chapter 6)
that drives the story forward; its the tool
that helps us understand what the sto-
ry is about. As with everything, its not
enough that you are clear on the char-
acters relationships to each other; you
have to make it clear to the reader of
your image. You dont have to spell it out
for me, but give me enough visual clues
that I can piece it together.
 The relationships in this story seem pretty clear: the sharks relate to each other as hunt-
ing partners, and to the small fish in the lower right of the frame, as predator to prey. In
the end, the sharks showed no interest in this fish; they all seemed to be focused on oth-
er things. But by leveraging the imagination of the reader, a different story within this
frame is implied, giving this image its emotional strength.

We bring to the reading of this image things no photographer can control. What you
know about sharks, what you believe about them, and what kind of history you may
have had with them shapes how you read the story. But that there are enough clues for
you to engage with is the power of understanding the elements of story.

This is a sample caption to expand on the points made in the preceeding two pag-
es. This is a sample caption to expand on the points made in the preceeding two
pages.
 Who are these men to each other? Theyre so close but so distant from each other, backs
turned to each other. The contrasts between them seem to provide clues about the re-
lationships: one runs a chaotic shop filled with speedometers and odometers, the other
runs an orderly shop filled with nothing but ball bearings. If theyve fallen out with each
other, what caused them to do so? Will their proximity force an eventual conflict? Re-
member, its not knowing thats important (at least not in the context of non-journalis-
tic work), but the engagement. Do your images prompt that engagement and curiosity?

This is a sample caption to expand on the points made in the preceeding two pag-
es. This is a sample caption to expand on the points made in the preceeding two
pages.
06
ELEMENTS OF STORY
CONFLICT & CONTRAST
Think of the stories you best remember,
the movie you most recently watched, or
the tales you told your kids at bedtime
last night. All of them revolved around
a central conflict, whatever they were
about, whoever and wherever the char-
acters were, and no matter what those
characters were doing.
Conflict is the driving force of story. A
little girl in a red cloak against the wolf.
An old man in a boat against the forces
of nature. A boy and girl in love against
the wills of tradition and family. A man
struggles against his inner demons or
the decisions of his past.
There are classically three kinds of con-
flict: man vs. man, man vs. nature, and
man vs. himself. Many photographic sto-
ries contain these elements. But told in a
single frame, some stories might not be
so adversarial. But if they are to tell a sto-
ry, they will still have a conflict at their
heart, if only a conflict of ideas. Photo-
graphically, we represent that as jux-
taposition. Big vs small. Old vs. young.
Serious vs. silly. Modern vs. ancient. Sec-
ular vs. sacred. They do not all have to
be at odds with each other. In fact the
story might be how unexpectedly well
they work together, but in the still frame
of the photograph, they help drive the
sense of story.
Contrast is where photographs get their
interest, be they wedding photographs,
sports images, landscapes, wildlife, or
street scenes. If you increase the sense
of that contrast, you magnify the sense
of the story. You can do this in so many
ways: shutter speed can increase the
feeling of stationary, permanent things
in a sea of movement; longer lenses can
isolate a particular juxtaposition and ex-
clude distractions. Your choice of camera
position and framing can also do that.
Remember, not every photograph has
to tell a story. If theres no conceptual
contrast and its a photograph of a flow-
er with only contrast of tone and line, it
might be a poem, and a beautiful one
at that; its just not a story. Add a bee,
though, and it might be.
 To me, this is a photograph about the intersection of ancient and modern worlds. And
depending on what you know about the setting, characters, and whats going on, it
might also be about faith, as this was made at a Christmas mass in Ethiopia. But its the
contrasts that make the image, and the story, interesting.

On the following page, a grandfather wraps his hands around his grandson. Theres sto-
ry here in the contrast between the old, textured hands that have worked the land and
lived a long life, and the small, gentle hands of the little boy. The difference between
young and old, the implied relationship between the characters, and the ambiguity
about the identity of the older man, all create an engaging sense of story.

This is a sample caption to expand on the points made in the preceeding two pag-
es. This is a sample caption to expand on the points made in the preceeding two
pages.
This is a sample caption to expand on the points made in the preceeding two pag-
es. This is a sample caption to expand on the points made in the preceeding two
pages.
07
ELEMENTS OF STORY
THEME
The theme of a story is much easier to
flesh out in a movie, a novel, or a longer
photo essay. In a still image it can be hard-
er. Think of this as the conceptual heart
of the story: what is the story about?
A photograph that is merely of some-
thing is not often as powerful as one
that is about something. The difference
is in the interpretation, or in giving the
reader enough visual clues to engage
his or her imagination in interpretation.
This is where and how we give meaning
to our stories. Lets return to the cat and
the dog example. Photograph them one
way and its just an uninspired photo-
graph of a cat and a dog. Theres no sto-
ry, no meaning. Its not about anything.
But photograph them another way in a
stronger moment, one that reveals their
relationship, shows action or change,
and, depending on what those are, you
give meaning to the image. You make
it about something. Enmity perhaps. Or
companionship.
Understanding what the story is about
as it plays out before you helps you tell
it better. It helps you choose the visual
tools to best convey not just the infor-
mation, but the impact. You do that with
the position of the camera, the choice
of lens, the light, the moment. A bride
and groom may be very happy indeed,
but if you catch them in what appears to
be a tense moment, in the wrong light-
ing, from the wrong angle, in black and
white, the story you tell will not be one
of great joy and intimacy. You may have
a clear sense of what the story is about,
but unless you use the visual tools well,
it will be the imagination of the reader of
your image that provides the interpreta-
tion of what the story is about.
Hands down, the readers imagination
is the most powerful tool in assigning
meaning to a story; we can either give
them the best possible clues to make that
interpretation or we risk letting them do
that entirely on their own. Knowing as
soon as you can what the story is about
will help you choose those visual clues,
(and use your visual tools) as intention-
ally as you can.
Whats this story about? Boredom? Distraction? Disconnection? It
might be about different things to different people, but the elements
are there to make it about something, to give us a hook on which to
hang the meaning.
Is this a story about faith? About exclusion? It could be about either,
or perhaps both at the same time. On its own its a little ambiguous,
which isnt a bad thing. In a longer series, other images would clarify
some of that ambiguity. Either way, there is enough here to tap into
your empathy.
Creative
Exercise
What is the image on the fol- What does the implied rela-
lowing page about? Whats tionship in this image do to
the theme? communicate the theme?

What makes you think so? Would a different gesture

from the baby elephant po-
Are there enough visual clues tentially change the theme of
to convey that theme effec- the image? How important is
tively? the choice of moment to this
story?
Would more context have
made that stronger or would
it have made the image weak-
er?

Do you need to know where

this is in order for it to be ef-
fective, or can we infer some-
thing about setting without
needing to see more?
08
ELEMENTS OF STORY
MYSTERY
If Ive just spent the last 6 chapters argu-
ing for the most intentional use of visual
clues and the choices of the photogra-
pher to create those to tell a clear story,
this is where I remind you again that the
most powerful tool you have is the imag-
ination of the reader. How you engage
that imagination could be an entirely
separate book, but there is a good start-
ing place: mystery.
You know how so often someone will see
a movie based on a book and when you
ask them how it was they say, inevitably,
It wasnt as good as the book? There
might be many reasons for this. It might
just be a really poor movie. But its more
likely the case that the book allowed
the readers imagination to fill in details:
what characters looked like, what the
villain smelled like, what the pacing was
like. No matter how large the budget of
the film studio, our imaginationsun-
hindered by the realities of physics and
budgetscan do it better. And in order
for that imagination to really work, it
needs some room to move. It needs to
not be told everything. It needs mystery.
The very best stories dont tell us every-
thing. The scariest monster movies are
the ones that keep the monster mostly
hidden, showing only glimpses and im-
plications and the gory results of its ac-
tions. The imagination needs the mystery
to flex its muscle. Its the rookie filmmak-
er who thinks the monster he creates is
scarier than the one in my mind.
Photographically, this means showing
less, not more, and being selective about
it. It means leaving (if not creating) ques-
tions. What are they looking at? What
just happened? Whats about to happen?
What would happen if? Luckily photo-
graphs can be very good at not show-
ing everything, but as the storyteller its
important to choose which information
you leave the viewer without. Leave out
something important that might oth-
erwise help me care about a character,
understand whats happening, or oth-
erwise hook me, and youll lose my at-
tention and with it the willingness of my
imagination to engage your story and
take it further than you can yourself.
Who is the second character implied by the shadow? What is the man
in the hat thinking? Whats about to happen? This kind of ambiguity or
mystery engages our imaginations in ways not possible had I just in-
cluded it all in the frame and told you everything. Sometimes the reality
is much less interesting; mystery protects us from that.
09
LONGER STORIES
Ive been discussing story in a way that
assumes a single frame. As limited as it is,
the single frame remains a powerful way
of telling stories, perhaps because of its
very limits. They allow the imagination
room to move. But that very strength
is also its weakness in the sense that
the reader will assume or imply a great
deal that might not be true of the story.
Sometimes more is needed and its here
that the photo essay has played a long
role.
Sometimes accompanied by longer text
or captions, sometimes not, the photo
essay has been the defacto format of
magazines like the National Geographic
for over a hundred years. It does what
the single frame cant: it provides greater
context and detail.
Traditionally, the photo essay has includ-
ed wider shots meant to establish con-
text (or setting) as well as closer detail
images, portraits, action images, and
POV (point of view) shots. In other words,
where the single image story seeks to
show character, setting, action, contrast,
and theme all in one image, the photo
essay does it in several, allowing each
image to be more powerfully about one
particular element or aspect of the sto-
ry. In a photo essay, the reader gener-
ally comes away knowing more about
each of these elements or gains greater
knowledge about the background or
context.
Good wedding photographers excel at
this, showing details of the ring, clothes,
behind the scenes preparations, key
moments, and people. When done well,
its a classic photo essay. But you can
use the format well outside weddings
or journalism. Consider making a short
series of images (perhaps three) that al-
lows you to put a little more meat on the
bones. The images on the next few pag-
es are from Ethiopia and Italy, and while
not classic essays, together they tell a
fuller story than one image alone could.
All the images must be strong and suc-
ceed on their own merits, but any story
can usually be strengthened by telling
it from different angles while still main-
taining some of the mystery that makes
them so powerful.
The images on the preceding page are
vignettes from the Christmas pilgrimage
to Lalibela in Northern Ethiopia, an event
full of great characters who all come to
express their faith in one way or another.

The images on this and the following

page are from a fishing village in Italy, all
shot within about 10 minutes of each oth-
er as the days catch came in to harbour
to get unload and packed.
Creative
Exercise
Grab your camera or your
iPhone. Choose a subject,
something easy. A day in the
life of your cat. Morning in
your home. Happy Hour at
the local pub. A jam session
with your son and his friends
in the garage band. Just pick
something. Now make a se-
ries of 12 images that tell that
story and make sure these
questions get answered:
Where is the story occurring?
Who are the characters?
What are the relationships be-
tween the characters?
What are they doing?
What kind of conflict or con-
trast exists? Is there a problem
or challenge to overcome?
What action or change exists,
either now or imminently?
What is the result of that ac-
tion?
As you do the edit and
choose the 12 images, consid-
er the flow. Does one image
connect to another in some
way?
Dont forget about composi-
tion and choice of moments.
Photographically, the best
story can still fall apart if you
forget that the way we tell
that story is in the way we
arrange the elements and
choose our moments.
10
YOUR TURN
The following six photographs all con-
tain elements of story. Youll notice
many of the same questions at the
foot of each image. This is the part of
the book many will skip, but like those
creepy team building exercises they
made you do in high school, the only
way to learn from them is to do them.
Sit down with each image and spend
five minutes studying them before an-
swering the questions for yourself. Then
open some of your own photographs
and ask yourself the same questions. If
you feel like pushing yourself and there
are images that dont tell the story you
want, ask yourself any of the following
questions, all of which you can slightly
reframe and use while youre making
your photographs in the first place:
What is this story really about?
Have I included enough information
about my characters? Too much?
Have I included enough information
about my setting? Too much?
What is the relationship between the
characters? Could it be clearer?
What is the relationship between my
characters and their setting? Could that
be clearer?
What is the central conflict or contrast
in the image? Is that clear?
Is there action or change, either now, in
the past, or about to happen?
Is that action clear?
Have I given sufficient visual clues to
help the viewer understand the story?
Have I given enough room for mystery
to allow the imagination to fill in the
gaps?
Is the moment I have chosen the best
moment to tell this story? What might
have happened if I had waited a little
longer or acted sooner?
What emotional quality does the light
bring to the story? Is it consistent with
the mood or the theme?
Is my framing appropriate for the sto-
ry? Should I have considered a different
orientation or aspect ratio?
Who are the characters? What do you know about them based on the set-
ting? What are their relationships to each other? What contrasts exist in
this scene? What is this story about? What decisions were made with the
camera to strengthen that story?
Who are the characters? What are their relationships to each other? What
contrasts exist in this scene? What might this story be about? What action
or change is implied by the moving rock? Is it moving towards something?
Away from something? Why?
Who are the characters in this story? What can you infer about them
based on the setting? What are their relationships to each other? What
contrasts exist in this scene? What is this story about? Why is the one boat
so empty while the other is so full? Does that ambiguity strengthen your
engagement with the image or weaken it?
Who are the characters? What do you know about them based on the set-
ting? What are their relationships to each other? What contrasts exist in
this scene? What is this story about? Does not knowing who the woman
is, or even being able to see her face, say something about the culture or
setting in which this story is told? Would you have chosen to include that
womans face? Why?
Who are the characters? What do you know about them based on the set-
ting? Why are they there? What are their relationships to each other and
to the buried dead? How did those people, now dead, meet their ends?
What contrasts exist in this scene? What is this story about? Would more
or less information make this a stronger story?
Who are the characters? What do you know about them based on the set-
ting? What are their relationships to each other? What contrasts exist in
this scene? What is this story about? What decisions were made with the
camera to tell this story and give you suggestions about what it is about?
How was ambiguity or mystery created in this image?
12
Conclusion
Most of us know how powerful stories
can be. But its one thing to know an im-
age tells a story and another thing alto-
gether to know how to create that sense
of story in your images. I hope you are
now one step closer.
I was taught in a high school journalism
class that to tell a story you needed to
cover the 5 Ws: What, When, Where, Who,
and Why. Those are another way of look-
ing at the elements of story, and might
perhaps give you an easy mnemonic
handle by which to remember the es-
sential elements.
Remember, however, that stories are not
only understood, but felt. The 5 Ws might
comprise the story that is told but have
no bearing on how it is told. That is up to
you and the choices you make with the
visual tools at your disposal. The 5 Ws do
not generally care much for theme or
mystery or the more poetic elements of
storytelling that make stories so power-
ful to us.
If you want to read further about story, I
suggest you look at these books, written
for writers: Story: Substance, Structure,
Style and the Principles of Screenwriting,
by Robert McKee; The Anatomy of Story:
22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller,
by John Truby; and The Writers Journey:
Mythic Structure for Writers, by Christo-
pher Vogler. All three of these have been
of immense help to me. And of course
there are the incredible archives of sto-
ries in the National Geographic, the ne
plus ultra of visual storytelling for 100
years.
Only you know why you tell the stories
you want to tell. For some, its strictly the
conveyance of information; for others,
the desire to have the readers of their
images connect more deeply. It is the
latter with which I resonate. I want my
images to be felt, to connect with the
experience I had while making them to
be felt beyond myself, like ripples on the
surface of a lake. But more-so, I hope I will
not only tell great stories, but live great
stories. The ripples from that will go fur-
ther than any photograph. But with luck,
those are the stories youll tell with the
most conviction and creativity.
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC STORY
HOW TO USE STORYTELLING TO MAKE MORE POWERFUL PHOTOGRAPHS
David duChemin

Editor in Chief / Publisher

David duChemin

Executive Editor / Production Manager

Cynthia Haynes

Designer
David duChemin

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