Feature photography and photo essays require careful planning and execution. Developing compelling story ideas is crucial for creating impactful visual narratives that resonate with viewers.
This section covers techniques for generating and evaluating story concepts, from and to assessing newsworthiness and crafting effective pitches. These skills help photographers create meaningful photo essays that captivate audiences.
Generating Story Ideas
Brainstorming and Research Techniques
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Dalia, what how why brainstorming | Fernando Guillen | Flickr View original
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Top images from around the web for Brainstorming and Research Techniques
Dalia, what how why brainstorming | Fernando Guillen | Flickr View original
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Brainstorming results (2 of 4) | www.speedofcreativity.org/2… | Flickr View original
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Brainstorming skills and competencies before badge design … | Flickr View original
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Dalia, what how why brainstorming | Fernando Guillen | Flickr View original
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Brainstorming results (2 of 4) | www.speedofcreativity.org/2… | Flickr View original
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Brainstorming involves free-flowing generation of ideas without judgment
creates visual connections between related concepts
encourages continuous writing for a set time to uncover hidden ideas
Research current events and trending topics to identify potential stories
Explore local community issues and concerns for relevant story ideas
Analyze social media trends and discussions to gauge public interest
Storyboarding and Visual Planning
visually outlines the sequence of shots or scenes for a
Sketch rough thumbnails to plan and of key images
Create a detailing specific photos needed to tell the story
Organize storyboard panels chronologically or thematically
Include notes on lighting, location, and subject positioning for each planned shot
Use storyboarding to identify potential gaps in
Evaluating Newsworthiness
Assessing News Value and Timeliness
determines a story's importance and interest to the audience
Consider impact on readers' lives when evaluating news value
refers to the immediacy or currency of a story
requires rapid response and real-time coverage
align with specific times of year (holiday traditions)
commemorate significant past events
Analyzing Relevance and Uniqueness
measures how applicable a story is to the target audience
makes national or global stories relevant to a specific community
sets a story apart from similar coverage by other media outlets
to subjects or locations increases a story's uniqueness
on familiar topics can make a story stand out
enhance the uniqueness of photo essays
Exploring Human Interest Elements
stories focus on emotional connections and personal experiences
highlight interesting individuals or groups
resonate with readers on an emotional level
of kindness or community support often have broad appeal
Quirky or unusual human interest stories can provide lighthearted content
Visual storytelling in human interest pieces often relies on expressive portraits
Presenting Concepts
Crafting an Effective Pitch
summarizes the story idea concisely and compellingly
Clearly state the or angle of the proposed photo essay
Explain why the story is and relevant to the audience
Outline the and planned for the story
Describe any or perspective that sets the pitch apart
Include practical details such as estimated time frame and resources needed
Prepare to answer questions about potential challenges or
Practice delivering the pitch verbally to improve confidence and clarity
Consider creating a visual pitch deck with sample images or storyboards