How to Make Pictures Tell a Story!
If you're looking for a great way to arrange and set up your photos, why not let your pictures tell a story?
We've all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, so why do so few pictures tell a story?
That's often the difference between a good photograph and a really fantastic photograph! In a good photo, you might have a picture of a dog. The photo might be perfectly composed, well shot, in focus, and touched up to perfection -- and still missing that je ne sais quoi! On the other hand, a slightly less technically perfect photograph can be much more successful if it gives you a sense of story -- for example, if you look at it and think, "Oh, that dog's up to something!"
That Elusive Quality!
Sometimes we can make our pictures tell a story and sometimes it's just pure blind luck. A lot of times, you have to snap a lot of pictures before you find one you love. Digital cameras make that easy, of course: you can analyze and reconsider photographs without the long wait.
Of course, all this isn't to say that you should delete any pictures that don't automatically cry STORY! For example, this is one of my favorite bunny photos:
It's a pretty good photo. I like it. I would never delete it. However, I don't think you look at it and get an automatic sense of how pictures tell a story: it's just a cute photo of rabbits eating. And that's fine!
This photo, on the other hand, illustrates how pictures tell a story -- even by accident! I don't know that it's a better picture, but it does have that look on the one bunny's face -- the "I'm doing something guilty and about to get caught!" quality. This is an example of how you can look at a photo and know immediately that something's going on!
Arranging By Stories
Professional photographers are excellent at capturing that elusive quality. Enthusiastic amateurs like me, on the other hand, have to rely more on luck (although with practice, it does get easier to spot those storytelling moments!). So how can we make sure our pictures tell a story?
By arranging them to do so, of course! When you're putting pictures together, consider the order you put them in. Be careful about what you put in and leave out. Try to arrange things in a logical sequence, or by theme. The idea is that when you're finished, you won't just have a random collection of good pictures: you'll have a story that functions without a single word!
We love pictures because of the stories behind them. Take that love a step further and let your pictures tell a story -- you and your friends and family will be glad you did!
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