When asked to name the one thing which has been of greatest help in my photographic career, I will invariably say that it has been learning the art of visual storytelling. Making an impressive single image is one thing but creating a comprehensive visual essay is quite another. It requires a slightly different skill-set and a variation in approach. The results, however, are typically much more cohesive, more complete and, ultimately, more satisfying.
The demands of creating a visual story are arguably greater than creating a single image. A story requires a narrative; a beginning, middle and end. Visual stories require a selection of different image formats and meaningful essays are created when all the parts combine to make something greater than the sum of the parts.
Photographers who wish to delve deeper into their environment create stories, not single images. When I photograph for an essay, I tend to gain a greater appreciation of the subject. That familiarity is what produces more engaging work. I know that I’ll need to shoot wide-angle opening shots, contextual portraits and be conscious of developing the narrative with close-ups and interactions. I change lenses more frequently when I’m shooting a story, I move around more, I change perspective more frequently and, crucially, I spend more time with the subject.
When I shoot for a story, I return home with a more complete collection of images and feel that I’ve captured greater depth. Editing is potentially easier because I have a wider variety of images to choose from but that narrative has to stick and I’ll go back to my original plan and research material to edit in a meaningful fashion. Single images are great and sometimes it’s nice to just turn up and shoot a solitary photo or two but when I photograph with a story in mind, I feel like I’m really beginning to achieve my original goal, which has always been to convey something meaningful about a location or an event.
Visual storytelling is at the heart of what I try to do with my photography. That’s why I’m particularly looking forward to working with photojournalist Jack Kurtz in Cambodia this summer. At the end of June, Jack and I will visit three locations in Cambodia where rich stories are waiting to be told.
In Phnom Penh we will visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, where the spectre of the Khmer Rouge lurks in the cells of the former detention centre. It’s hard to know what to write about Tuol Sleng, you really have to see it for yourself. It’s shocking and chilling and takes a while to get to grips with. But it provides evidence of a story which we should all learn and offers a challenge for photographers who wish to do the story some kind of justice.
From Cambodia’s capital we will travel to Battambang and spend time on and around the unique Bamboo Train. The railway is a triumph of Cambodian ingenuity and the rural villages beside the tracks are a delightful place to spend some time. With rice-threshing factories and traditional brick kilns there are plenty of great photo opportunities but the real challenge will be for participants to create a cohesive essay of life on and around the railway.
Click to view slideshow.From Battambang we travel to Siem Reap and the glorious temples of Angkor. We skip off the tourist trail as quickly as possible, exploring parts of the temple complex where the light is at its best. Angkor is a great place to finish our workshop and I’ve never visited and been anything less than enchanted.
We have worked hard to create an itinerary which includes some fascinating locations and because both Jack and I are familiar with the places we’ll visit, it will be easier to get a look “behind the scenes”. This is a workshop where the emphasis is on the “work”. There will be early starts and late finishes. It will be wet season in Cambodia, which brings its own set of challenges but which also often provides the most atmospheric light.
Because you will be working hard, we have booked the finest hotels in each town so that you can also relax in comfortable surroundings and we are confident that you will be impressed with the accommodation. We have included all meals, all transport, all entrance fees and all tuition in the workshop fee so you only need to book your flights and we’ll take care of the rest.
The workshop fee is $1,900 and includes all of the above with single occupancy rooms (doubles or twins) with no silly single supplements.
Because of the nature of this workshop, places are limited. You will have the dedicated attention and support of two professional editorial photographers and our aim is to teach you as much as we can about the process of creating visual essays, from researching, planning and scoping to shooting and editing. You won’t have to come and search for us, we won’t be sneaking off to work on our own images, our goal is to help you create stories to be proud of.
You can read more information and register for a place by clicking here:
