How is a visual storyteller different from a photographer?
I’ve been asked this question before.
Here is a simple explanation: By definition, I am a photographer. But what I DO is visual storytelling.
A camera is an incredibly powerful storytelling tool. With today’s technology, most of us have a camera built into our phones. This gives nearly everyone the opportunity to tell a powerful story through their own lens. Storytelling can obviously be used in all kinds of scenarios.
However, we often become wrapped up in trying to capture everything. Which can lead to undesirable results. So instead of focusing on everything that you can capture, I want you to try switching your mindset. I want you to focus on one single story.
What do I mean by that? Every day you are surrounded by stories. Some examples might include a:
Day at the beach
Child's birthday party
Trip to the outdoor market
First attempt at a new recipe
Day in the garden
Shopping trip
Wedding
Day in the life of your pet
Once you choose a story to tell, the next step is to find your hero. This is a singular person or object that you will focus on for your story. For instance, if your story is about a day in your garden, maybe the subject of your story is the garden as a whole OR a particular fruit or vegetable you’re growing.
How can you tell a story about your garden?
Consider a story about a child’s birthday party. Will you make the child your hero? Or perhaps it is his/her mother, running around frantically to ensure every detail of the day is perfect for her loved one.
How can you evoke the most emotion out of your viewer? That is your job when you step out from the “photographer” umbrella and under the “visual storyteller” umbrella.
Remember: the more involved an individual is emotionally in your story, the more likely they will be engaged. And engagement in your photographs is exactly the desired result of any professional behind a camera.