How to Create a Photo Essay: Step-by-Step Guide
LDV Capital predicted that by 2022 there must be about 45 billion cameras in the world. People have become obsessed about documenting the mundane on their social media. As a result, we are taking and sharing approximately 3.2 billion images every day. It has led to the emergence of next generation digital publishing platforms with photo essays.
Have you ever heard of the term “photo essay”? In fact, this is not the most popular type of essay, so very few of us are familiar with it. Let’s define this term to get a deep understanding of it.
What is a photo essay?
A photo essay or a photographic essay is a unique form of visual storytelling. Basically, it’s used to present a certain narrative through a series of pictures. You can see the most powerful examples of them in journalism and marketing. Today, great photos coupled with immersive digital techniques are used in multiple industries by both brands and nonprofits.
Basically, there are two main types of a photography essay: thematic and narrative. Thematic ones are focused on a topical story, for example, an ecological issue or a natural disaster. If you want to check what it looks like, you can google “Emotion runs high” by NBC News Olympics photos and “From Trayvon Martin to Colin Kaepernick” by BBC. Narrative photography essays usually tell a specific story through images. A great example of an essay like this is “28 Days in Afghanistan” made by SBS.
Simply put, a photo essay aims to replace written works with powerful photographs. Note that if it’s down poorly, it’s just a series of images gathered in one place. But properly created photography essays take readers on an engaging journey.
Who can help me with an essay?
If you are a student struggling with numerous home assignments, you probably need help with your studies to relieve the burden on your shoulders. But where to get reliable assistance? You can turn to special AssignmentBro service with a request “help me with my essay” and get your paper done by professionals. Luckily, this is company that provides professional assistance with any type of assignment you might get at college, even if it’s a photography essay. So choose this platform you can rely on and focus on other important priorities.
How to create a photo essay
However, if you want to complete a photo essay on your own, you should follow some steps. Read a detailed step-by-step guide for a great essay below.
1. Start with a story
Before you add photos to your essay, you should create a story. Think of what message you want to communicate with your story. Your essay must have a logical structure and be divided into blocks for better perception.
2. Choose your title image
No matter what type of essay you are creating, it needs a great title image to hook the reader. Pick a stunning photo depending on your essay topic and add a title with a subtitle to it. You can also mention the author.
3. Add text sections
Every photo you use in your essay must have a description. This helps to contextualize the images and create a coherent story. It would be nice if every section also had a short introduction.
4. Pick more photos
Note that in photography essays, hierarchy is critical. Therefore, you should choose the photos carefully, making sure each of them is appropriate. Find enough time for this activity, so your photos appear in a logical order.
5. Add “reveals”
When creating a photography essay, you usually have an option of adding a “Reveal” section. That means you can add comments that float over your photos. De facto it’s a caption for each image in your essay.
6. Choose transition effects
Transition effects can make your essay more engaging. Depending on the type of your photo essay and its topic, you can choose from several types of transitions in most software programs. By the way, you can pick different transitions for different images.
7. Create a media gallery
If you have too many images to use in your essay, you can create a mosaic effect with the help of the media gallery feature. After uploading your photos, you can experiment with their size and arrangement for a better effect.
8. Preview your essay
Photo essays have a high likelihood of running into problems with different screen sizes. That’s why you should use the software preview option before publishing your story. Check how your images look on desktop, tablet, and mobile. If necessary, make appropriate adjustments.
9. Publish your work
The final step is to publish your photo essay, so the world can see it. With the help of up-to-date software, you can create an immersive and interactive photography essay without writing a line of code. Hopefully, you will use all the existing opportunities to convey powerful stories.
Author’s BIO
Carla Davis is a creative photographer and writer. She is an author of several popular books on the art of photography. Carla is passionate about her work and she believes that everybody should try themselves in the role of a photographer as it’s a very rewarding occupation in terms of positive emotions and expanded outlook.
How to Create a Photo Essay: Step-by-Step Guide
LDV Capital predicted that by 2022 there must be about 45 billion cameras in the world. People have become obsessed about documenting the mundane on their social media. As a result, we are taking and sharing approximately 3.2 billion images every day. It has led to the emergence of next generation digital publishing platforms with photo essays.
Have you ever heard of the term “photo essay”? In fact, this is not the most popular type of essay, so very few of us are familiar with it. Let’s define this term to get a deep understanding of it.
What is a photo essay?
A photo essay or a photographic essay is a unique form of visual storytelling. Basically, it’s used to present a certain narrative through a series of pictures. You can see the most powerful examples of them in journalism and marketing. Today, great photos coupled with immersive digital techniques are used in multiple industries by both brands and nonprofits.
Basically, there are two main types of a photography essay: thematic and narrative. Thematic ones are focused on a topical story, for example, an ecological issue or a natural disaster. If you want to check what it looks like, you can google “Emotion runs high” by NBC News Olympics photos and “From Trayvon Martin to Colin Kaepernick” by BBC. Narrative photography essays usually tell a specific story through images. A great example of an essay like this is “28 Days in Afghanistan” made by SBS.
Simply put, a photo essay aims to replace written works with powerful photographs. Note that if it’s down poorly, it’s just a series of images gathered in one place. But properly created photography essays take readers on an engaging journey.
Who can help me with an essay?
If you are a student struggling with numerous home assignments, you probably need help with your studies to relieve the burden on your shoulders. But where to get reliable assistance? You can turn to special AssignmentBro service with a request “help me with my essay” and get your paper done by professionals. Luckily, this is company that provides professional assistance with any type of assignment you might get at college, even if it’s a photography essay. So choose this platform you can rely on and focus on other important priorities.
How to create a photo essay
However, if you want to complete a photo essay on your own, you should follow some steps. Read a detailed step-by-step guide for a great essay below.
1. Start with a story
Before you add photos to your essay, you should create a story. Think of what message you want to communicate with your story. Your essay must have a logical structure and be divided into blocks for better perception.
2. Choose your title image
No matter what type of essay you are creating, it needs a great title image to hook the reader. Pick a stunning photo depending on your essay topic and add a title with a subtitle to it. You can also mention the author.
3. Add text sections
Every photo you use in your essay must have a description. This helps to contextualize the images and create a coherent story. It would be nice if every section also had a short introduction.
4. Pick more photos
Note that in photography essays, hierarchy is critical. Therefore, you should choose the photos carefully, making sure each of them is appropriate. Find enough time for this activity, so your photos appear in a logical order.
5. Add “reveals”
When creating a photography essay, you usually have an option of adding a “Reveal” section. That means you can add comments that float over your photos. De facto it’s a caption for each image in your essay.
6. Choose transition effects
Transition effects can make your essay more engaging. Depending on the type of your photo essay and its topic, you can choose from several types of transitions in most software programs. By the way, you can pick different transitions for different images.
7. Create a media gallery
If you have too many images to use in your essay, you can create a mosaic effect with the help of the media gallery feature. After uploading your photos, you can experiment with their size and arrangement for a better effect.
8. Preview your essay
Photo essays have a high likelihood of running into problems with different screen sizes. That’s why you should use the software preview option before publishing your story. Check how your images look on desktop, tablet, and mobile. If necessary, make appropriate adjustments.
9. Publish your work
The final step is to publish your photo essay, so the world can see it. With the help of up-to-date software, you can create an immersive and interactive photography essay without writing a line of code. Hopefully, you will use all the existing opportunities to convey powerful stories.
Author’s BIO
Carla Davis is a creative photographer and writer. She is an author of several popular books on the art of photography. Carla is passionate about her work and she believes that everybody should try themselves in the role of a photographer as it’s a very rewarding occupation in terms of positive emotions and expanded outlook.
