INTRODUCTION TO THE PHOTO NARRATIVE
Rather than writing a narrative this quarter, you are going to tell a story using photos. It can be fiction or nonfiction, but must be a complete story with character development, conflict, and theme. For someone
developing a visual story, the most important thing to ask is ‘what is the story you really want to tell?’ Answering
that can mean working through these questions:
1) What is the theme?
2) What will be the events/moments?
3) Who are the characters?
4) What is the context?
Below is an excerpt from “Telling Stories With Photos” by Darren Rowse
Structure
I’ve not studied the art of storytelling in great depth but even from my high school studies of creative writing
know that good stories don’t just happen. They take planning and some type of structure.
Before you start photographing your story consider what type of shots you might need to tell it. Basic stories will
usually include the elements of introduction, plot/body and conclusion:
1. Introduction – shots that put the rest of the images into context. These shots introduce important characters
that will follow, give information about the place where the story is happening, set the tone that the story will
be told in and introduce the themes that the story will meander through (see below for more on themes).
Introductory shots need to lead viewers into the body of the story. If you think about a good novel, it’s often the
first few paragraphs that determine whether people will buy and read the book in full or not – the same is true
with visual stories. Introductory shots should give people a reason to go deeper into the story.
2. Plot – good stories are more than just empty words. They explore ideas, feelings, and experiences on a
deeper level. Plot shots will probably make up the majority of your photographic story. They show what happens
but also explore themes and ideas.
3. Conclusion – good story tellers are quite intentional about the way they end their stories. Last impressions
count and it’s worth considering what lasting image/s you want to leave with the viewer of your photos. By no
means do you need to tie up your story neatly (good stories sometimes leave people feeling unsettled and
wanting resolution) but do consider how you want to end.
----------------------------------------------------------------------When you present your Photo Narrative you will be expected to:
1) include 7-10 photos
2) include a caption for each photo. Limit sentences to four per caption.
3) use an ascetically pleasing presentation method. This can include prezi, powerpoint, photostory,
online visual-story sites (cincopa.com), or mounted photos on poster board. You MUST be able to
access it on presentation day. If you are unsure about format, please consult me.
Photo narrative PowerPoint can be found on my website under FILES
Getting Started: It’s time to map out your story.
You can get a better idea of what pictures you
will need to take after you shape your story vision.
Step 1 Character
First, your story needs a character. Who is this story about? Here are some things to think about when creating
your main character:
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Your character doesn't have to be human. It can be an animal or a fantastic spirit. It could also be a rock,
a toy soldier, etc. Use your imagination.
Once you've created one character, you probably want to create more characters -- friends, enemies,
heroes, villains, and so on.
Perfect characters are boring. To create tension in the story, give your characters weaknesses and flaws.
If you use the character's weaknesses to get the character into even more trouble, the tension will build,
and you'll have a better story
Remember, to keep your story believable, your character should react to events in the story according
to the personality you've given them. For example, if a tiger is running loose through the neighborhood,
we'd expect a curious character to have a very different reaction than a lazy one.
Is your character happy, gloomy, rude, arrogant, etc.? Try writing five words to describe your character.
Step 2 Challenges/Conflict
Every great story involves a problem or challenge to be solved by the character(s). An interesting challenge is
what turns a boring list of everyday events in to an interesting and exciting story for your readers. The challenge
creates tension.
Challenges can be general or specific.
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In Cinderella, the heroine has the general challenge of survival with her evil stepsisters, and then
a very specific challenge of figuring out how she'll get to the Prince's dance.
In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker has a general challenge of escaping his boring life and then a
specific challenge of finding Princes Leia. Then as soon as he's escaped with the Princess, he
learns he has another specific challenge: Blow up the Death Star to save the rebel alliance.
Try coming up with a few challenges that your characters might struggle with, and write these down on your
worksheet. If you need some ideas to get started, try asking some "What if...?" questions.
For example, what if your character...
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discovers a money plant in the backyard
has something stuck up his/her nose and can't get it out
best friend is wearing a really embarrassing hat, but nobody will say anything
gets in a huge argument with _____ over which pizza toppings they should order.
wakes up to find his best friend is missing and there are only a few hours until his friend’s
wedding.
draws a picture that is mistakenly sold at auction for $1,000,000.
Step 3 Setting
Your story needs a setting. Where and when does this story take place?
Is the setting important to the story? If not, don't spend too much time on it. For example, if the story is about
two rocks in a shoe box, you probably don't need to spend a great deal of time dwelling on this. Sometimes the
setting is so important that it conveys emotion or a message. A photo may be 80 setting focused with only 20%
character focus. This could convey how small the character is feeling.
Here are some different ideas for settings:
The lake at the city park
The school playground
Makeshift fortress
Your backyard
The refrigerator
A table top
A haunted house
Step 4 Obstacle(s)
So now you have your character, the setting, and the problem, and the motivation to solve that problem. These
parts are usually told in the first section of your story, sometimes in just a pictures. Until the climax, the rest of
your story is detailing the obstacles - the things that get in your character's way. This will make up most of the
photos in your story.
Imagine the following:
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Character: Mouse
Setting: House
Problem: Find Cheese
Motivation: Hungry
It's simple and boring. But what happens when you add obstacles?
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Obstacles: Giant Mouse Trap, Three-legged Cat, Turbo Vacuum
Now it's getting interesting! Obstacles create tension and make the story fun for your reader.
Obstacles often come in sets of three. Also, remember the character flaws that made the Challenge
more interesting? Your character should be transforming as the story progresses, getting a bit stronger,
braver, luckier, smarter, etc. By the end of the story, the reader should feel that the character has grown
or changed into a better person. Obstacles present your character with a chance to grow.
Here are just a few different ideas from which you can create obstacles. What happens if your character...?
-gets hand stuck in a jar?
-gets locked in a closet?
-gets stuck in a tree?
-loses all the money?
-runs out of time?
-can't swim?
-runs out of batteries?
-encounters a slippery banana
peel?
-drops cell phone in the toilet?
-spills hot coffee?
-gets a speeding ticket?
Step 5 Conflict
After getting past the last obstacle, your character finally confronts the challenge. The tension you have been
building in your story is released.
The climax is the point at which your characters also confront their own weaknesses. If they are naturally timid,
then they may become very courageous at the climax. If they tend to lie, then they will need to tell an important
truth. The climax of the story is the proof that your character has really transformed.
The climax generally follows one of these patterns:
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Realization: Your character has put together the clues in the story and has figured out what
happened. This type of climax works well for mysteries.
Resolution: Your character is up against the very last obstacle and -- through the confrontation - a transformation takes place.
Choice: The character is faced with making a difficult decision. Should he capture the villain or
escape with the gold? Should he tell the truth and face the consequences or lie and escape
unharmed?
Step 6 Resolution/Tie back
You're almost there! Finally, your story needs an ending. After the climax, there are usually some loose ends to
tie up. Here are some questions you might try to answer:
1) Has everything been resolved? Is it clear what will happen to your important characters after the story
ends? For example, do they live happily ever after?
2) How does your main character feel about the result?
3) How have your characters transformed? Here are some examples:
a. The Dr. Seuss's greedy Grinch becomes generous and loving when he realizes there's more to Christmas
than just presents.
b. In the final scenes of Pinocchio, the puppet transforms physically into a boy, while his character also
makes the final transformation from being a liar, and into someone that is trustworthy and brave.
You should also think about a theme for your story. Is there a message or special point? Stories are often
more interesting and memorable if we learn something from them. Because the theme depends heavily on
the outcome of the story, it's usually much easier to decide on a theme after you've completed these steps,
and then go back and work the theme into the other parts of your story.
Here is a list of themes you might try to include in your story:
1. good vs. evil
2. the importance of
friendship
3. the rewards of sharing
4. the consequences of
bullying
Now that you are done mapping, go take some photos!
5. achieving one's goals
6. peer pressure
7. the value of taking risks