Visual Photo StorytellingA Demonstration Functional PrototypeBy Elvis, Susan , EricETEC 750B

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THE SINGLE NARRATIVE PHOTOIntroducing

Aloha! In this lesson, we will explore the concept of visual storytelling. Some photos—like school portraits—don’t tell much of a story. Other photos suggest a story that suggests character, action, tension, a possible plot or narrative. We’ll look at some photos to learn the elements of a storytelling photo.

Standing

This photo suggests a story about the subject, a young boy playing T-ball. The story is told by the boy’s facial expression, and also by the characters in the background. Look at the expressions on their faces. The boy is intent, putting his all into hitting the ball. The man in the background seems delighted and proud—what is his relationship to the boy? Also look at the other players, patiently waiting for their turn. Try to imagine the position of the photographer. Was the photographer standing, or kneeling to get this shot? Click the answer down below to continue.

Lesson One

Standing

Kneeling

Standing

This photo suggests a story about the subject, a young boy playing T-ball. The story is told by the boy’s facial expression, and also by the characters in the background. Look at the expressions on their faces. The boy is intent, putting his all into hitting the ball. The man in the background seems delighted and proud—what is his relationship to the boy? Also look at the other players, patiently waiting for their turn. Try to imagine the position of the photographer. Was the photographer standing, or kneeling to get this shot?

Lesson One

Insert Picture here

Kneeling

Feedback :The photographer was most likely kneeling, as the photo captures the boy’s perspective.

Standing

This photo suggests a story about the subject, a young boy playing T-ball. The story is told by the boy’s facial expression, and also by the characters in the background. Look at the expressions on their faces. The boy is intent, putting his all into hitting the ball. The man in the background seems delighted and proud—what is his relationship to the boy? Also look at the other players, patiently waiting for their turn. Try to imagine the position of the photographer. Was the photographer standing, or kneeling to get this shot?

Lesson One

Insert Picture hereStanding

Feedback :If the photographer were standing, he would see the top of the boy’s head. He would not have captured the expression on the boy’s face.

This photo captures the climatic moment in the game. What is the umpire saying? Lookat the expressions on the players’ faces. Which player is happy about the umpire’s call?Can you identify the roles of the players?

What is the umpire saying?

Climatic Moment

From all the details in the photo, the setting is established. We can guess that photo captures a key point in the game. Perhaps the umpire is calling the player on the right as an out. He seems to be incredulous and somewhat unhappy about the call. The player on the left is happy about the call. He is the batter—we can tell that by his cap. The player on the left may be the base man who was trying to tag the batter. Clearly the two players are on opposing teams, and we can tell that by their uniforms. You can “read” a photo this way, by looking for all of the details.

As we noticed in the first two photos, facial expressions often tell the story. Here, the photo is cropped to emphasize the wrestler’s expression.

Facial expressions

Wrestler’s expression

And again, the story is told by the wrestler’s expression. However, what would be the effect of a tight cropping, to show just the wrestler’s face?

The story would be lost if the photo were cropped to just the wrestler’s head. If we

didn’t see the position of the wrestler’s We need to see the bodies of both

wrestlers in order to understand the story.

Here the photographer

captured the climatic moment of

a wrestling match.

What is the position

of the photographer?

Above

From the sidelines

Above

Feedback to “above”: Above the player. The photographer may have been standing on a catwalk or up in the bleachers. Note also the shadow of the opposing player. What feeling does his body position relay? Here are two sides of the story in one photograph: victory and defeat.

From the sidelines

Feedback to “from the sidelines”.No, the photographer wouldn’t have captured the posture and expression of the player if he shot from the sidelines. Would the shot have been as effective if it were taken standing on the side of the court? Probably not, as you would not capture the expression and exuberance of the player’s body gesture.

Look at the player’s facial expression and the action of the shot. What do you think is the story behind this frozen moment?

Answer: He just dunked a winning basket!

The referees’ gestures, as well as the expression of the player sitting on the ground, suggest a conflict, and a dialog. What do you think they might be saying?

Answer: The referees’ are signaling an incomplete pass. The player sitting on the ground might be saying, “What, ref?”

Summary

These three elements can help the photographer tell a story with an image:1. The position while taking the photo2. The setting captured in the photo3. The subject's facial expression captured, and the story it implies

Which photo is the narrative photo?

Please click on one of the photos to answer the question.

Photo 1: This photo lacks narrative, or story. While we can tell that it is was shot at a school (setting), and the photographer

is shooting from a higher vantage point, there is nothing that suggests a specific

story.

Photo 2: This photo tells a specific story. We can see facial expressions, and the

costumes and props suggests a narrative.

Which photo is the narrative photo?

Please click on one of the photos to answer the question.

Photo 1:This photo does suggest a story, but it isn’t specific enough or interesting enough. This looks like a typical shot in a classroom,

where two students are working together. We cannot tell what class it is, or what they are

working on from the setting.

Photo 2:This photo uses setting and facial expression to tell a story about the seventh grade camp experience. The students are

clearly intent and focused on their task. We can tell from the helmets and the ropes where they are. The photographer was shooting up: this helped to reduce distracting elements in the

background.

Which photo is the narrative photo?

Please click on one of the photos to answer the question.

Photo 1:Although this is a charming portrait of two friends, it doesn’t really tell a specific story.

This photo suggests a story. We can tell from the setting that these students are conducting a lab in science class. They are engaging with their instructor. My one objection is that this photo does seem to be posed, based on their expressions, and the positions so that they are all facing the camera.

Which photo is the narrative photo?

Please click on one of the photos to answer the question.

Photo 1: This photo shows a classroom interaction between the students and

teacher. The facial expressions and setting lacks interest, and any specific narrative. It

is a weak narrative photo.

Photo 2: Through the props, body language and facial expressions, a story is suggested.

Which photo is the narrative photo?

Please click on one of the photos to answer the question.

Photo 1: This is a clever group shot of the Tech club. The facial expressions are posed

and capture a good-natured humor, but it does not imply a narrative or story.

Photo 2: This photo captures the moment when the student realizes that her team has won the game. Her expression is clearly spontaneous. The background sets the scene for the story.

Notebook Example

Notebook AssignmentWrite about the 4 or 5 images that you would take if you had a camera. Why is it a photograph worth taking? How does the photograph tell a story? How does it employ the three components of a narrative photograph?

One photo that I would have taken was in P.E. class when Devon was filming Jessica and Andy jumping rope. I would have stood behind Devon and a little to the left (Position). This way I would have caught Devon’s profile, with the video camera, as she watched the camera LED screen film. I would have timed it to catch Jessica and Andy laughing. In fact, a good photo might have been the moment when their ropes got tangled, and they started to laugh (facial expression). I would be sure to include the jump ropes and the film camera, so the viewer could guess that this was an event that took place in P.E. class (setting).

Example 1:

Another photo that I would have taken was in biology class, when we were dissecting the catfish. I would have tried to capture Sarah’s expression as she is holding the scalpel, ready to cut into the fish. She looked a little apprehensive, but determined (facial expression). I would have taken the shot pretty much level with the subject, Sarah, or I might have tried to shoot from slightly below, so I wouldn’t have captured the cluttered lab background (position). I would tried to get the fish in the foreground, Sarah wearing goggles and raising the scalpel, to show that we were in biology lab (setting).

Example 2:

As I was walking back to class, I saw the middle school P.E. class outside in the grassy area outside the Wang Auditorium. They were having a tug-o-war. I would have stood as close as I could to the middle of the rope, and taken a shot down the rope to see all the kids lined up and pulling (position). The kids were really straining, some were shouting, some had their heads thrown back trying to leverage their strength; they looked engaged, and like they were having fun (facial expression). I would have gotten the rope in the photo; I might have tried to get background as either grass or sky, to simplify the backdrop (position and setting).

Example 3:

As the lower school students were waiting for the ride home, I noticed two kids sitting on the ground, leaning back to back. They both were reading a book. I would have kneeled down to their level to get a picture (position). One looked a little puzzled at what she was reading; the other was laughing at something funny (facial expression). I might have tried to get the background as a blur of activity—maybe the other kids walking around (setting), to show how engrossed they were in their books

Example 4:

Each week you will observe the world around you, looking for stories that can be captured in a single still image. And each week you will bring to class a single image that tells a story, a story obvious to anyone seeing the image. There will be a specific focus — forgive the pun — to some of the assignments. Week 1: Pay specific attention to your (the photographer's) position while taking a photo. Bring in a photo that demonstrates deliberate use of photographer position.Week 2: Pay specific attention to the setting in the photo and what story it tells. Bring in a photo that demonstrates a deliberate use of setting.Week 3: Bring in a photo that captures a candid facial expression that suggests a story.

Photo-a-Week

Peer-Discussion on Photo-a-WeekDiscuss the photographs of two of your peers, and post your reaction. Address the following questions in your review.Week 1:What was the photographer’s position relative to the subject in the photo? Does the position add or detract from the message in the photo?

Peer-Discussion

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