How to create a photo essay using original photographs

1. The Visual Story: Part Deux
Making a Photo Essay with
Original Photographs

2. Introduction:
• For this second photo
essay assignment, you
will work alone or in
pairs in order to create a
photo essay using
ONLY photographs
you have taken and
edited yourselves.

3. So… What are we supposed to do?
• Your task is to tell a short story using 25-
40 photos.
• Your story may be funny or serious but it
must make sense (to everyone, not just
you).
• You must use a variety of photographs of
different shot lengths (requirements will
follow).

4. How to go about compiling your
found photo essay:
• Decide on the story you are going to tell.
Will it be a serious story? Entertaining?
Abstract?
• Search the internet for photos which will
eloquently tell your story using limited
written words.
• Using PowerPoint, assemble your photos
into a cohesive story.
• Add a caption for each photograph, of no
more than a few sentences.

5. Cont’d.
• You may add effects such as
transitions, however do not rely
on the effects to make the story
good. The photos themselves
should be enough to do that if
you’ve chosen them well.
• Give your photo essay a title
and brief description- and add it
to the beginning of you
PowerPoint presentation.

6. Finally you must-
SET YOUR PRESENTATION TO MUSIC
• To set a presentation to music you must
first choose a piece of music that
compliments your photo essay.
• Save the piece of music as an mp3 in your
folder
• Go to your first slide and go to
Insert>Movies and Sounds>Sound from
file, then choose your saved Mp3.

7. Music Cont’d.
• You should see a small sound symbol on your
page now.
• Next you will have to time your presentation to
the music. To do this go to “Slide
Show”>”Rehearse Timings”
• Your presentation will start and you will see a
counter in the top left hand corner
• Read each of your slides slowly and click on the
arrow to move to your next slide until the
presentation is done.

8. Things to remember:
• Photos and stories must not contain any
offensive material whatsoever. This
includes nudity, sexual activity, or anything
construed as homophobic, racist or sexist.
• Since the photos are the basis of the story
make sure they are well chosen. This
means that they should be in focus,
clear, and have interesting and varied
angles, lighting and colour.

9. Required Shots
• There are many different
types of shots used in the
art of photography, each of
which is used to show
different settings, moods,
details and attributes.
• For this project you will be
required to have at least one
of each of the following
shots included in your photo
essay:

10. EWS (Extreme Wide Shot)
• The view is so far from the subject that
he isn't even visible. Often used as an
establishing shot.

11. WS (Wide Shot)
• The subject takes up the full frame, or at
least as much as comfortably possible.
AKA long shot.

12. MS (Medium Shot)
• Shows some part of the subject in more
detail while still giving an impression of the
whole subject.

13. CU (Close Up)
• A certain feature or part of the subject
takes up the whole frame.

14. ECU (Extreme Close Up)
• The ECU gets right in and shows extreme
detail.

15. CA (Cutaway)
• A shot of something other than the
subject.