In her cozy studio apartment filled with artwork, a small artist is preparing for a significant moment. Surrounded by tools like her iPad, printer, and Cricut, she’s getting ready for her first in-person art sale at a local event. With over 2,000 followers on Instagram, she has already shared her art with a wide online audience. Now, as she brings her creations into the physical world, this event marks a special step in her journey—a blend of the digital and the tangible. Witness the story of her first time as a vendor unfold, capturing the stress and excitement of creating physical art, and the start of her endeavor to sell her creations. The visual journey presented will not only showcase her artwork but also the story of her first vending experience.
As we look back on the event through these pictures, we see the journey unfold—from getting ready at home to the lively art-filled table and the excitement of making a new sale. Each photo captures a moment of growth and achievement, telling the story of a small artist taking a major step. Together, they create a snapshot of creativity, dedication, and community, leaving a lasting mark on her rising artistic career.
My Creative Process
In conceptualizing this photo essay, my primary goal was to authentically capture the transformative journey of a growing artist navigating her first vending experience. Drawing inspiration from the principles of visual storytelling outlined in this week’s readings, I aimed to document the blend of the digital and physical worlds as the artist brought her creations to life at a local event. The selected pictures are categorized to narrate a chronological story—from the preparations in the artist’s small apartment to the lively setup at the event, leading up to the moment of her first in-person sale. The photographs provide a canvas for analysis by inviting viewers to explore the underlying themes of creativity and dedication. In adherence to the design principles emphasized in our readings, I focused on capturing the essence of each moment to ensure that every photo contributed meaningfully to the overall narrative. Techniques such as varied angles were employed to convey the intimacy of the artist’s experience. As the creative process unfolded, these readings served as a guide, emphasizing the importance of planning, storytelling, and a solutions-focused approach to visual journalism. In crafting a balance between the verbal and visual elements of my photo essay, I tried to embrace the principles of solutions journalism highlighted in the readings. By considering visuals from the start of the project, I aimed to integrate imagery into the storytelling process. Rather than seeking visuals after the fact, I proactively planned to capture images that authentically matter to the specific theme of the story to ensure that each photo contributed meaningfully to the narrative. This approach not only aligns with the solutions-focused perspective but also enhances the overall impact and cohesiveness of the visual storytelling experience.
To try and create an effective visual story for my photo essay, I drew inspiration from the insights shared in the previous readings, particularly Seth Gitner’s “Multimedia Storytelling for Digital Communicators” and Bo Bergstrom’s “Essentials of Visual Communication.” A central theme that resonates across these texts is the significance of capturing moments — those fleeting instances that encapsulate the essence of a larger event. As I embarked on documenting my friend’s first vending experience, I’m aware of the power of capturing these ‘moments’ within the broader narrative. Gitner’s advice on identifying moments — the importance of patience, keen observation of human interactions, and the nuanced evaluation of photos based on criteria such as color, light, silhouette, composition, and distance — served as a guiding framework for my visual storytelling endeavor. The goal is not only to create good images but to strive for greatness by freezing those impactful moments that evoke emotion and empathy in the viewer. Bergstrom’s exploration of storytelling techniques further informed my approach. The concepts of dramatic, non-dramatic, and interactive storytelling are integral as I craft the narrative of my friend’s vending journey. The dramaturgy principle, emphasizing the art of captivating storytelling, compelled me to structure the photo essay to maintain audience engagement from the initial preparations to the climax of the event. This layered storytelling approach ensures that the audience is not only informed about the ‘what’ but also immersed in the ‘how’ of the unfolding narrative.
Additionally, the principles of visual storytelling, as outlined in “The 4 Principles of Visual Storytelling,” served me in the creation of my project. Authenticity, sensory experience, relevancy, and archetype are key considerations in the selection and composition of each photograph. The goal is to make the viewer not just witness the artist’s journey but to feel a personal connection and evoke a powerful emotional response. In essence, my photo essay aims to transcend documentation and aspires to be a visual journey that resonates with the authenticity, emotion, and the timeless power of a story. By adhering to these principles, I tried to make each image not just a visual representation but a compelling piece of storytelling art.
References:
Eman Shurbaji. “Photo Narratives.” Medium, Ideas: Journalism + Tech, 17 Dec. 2014, medium.com/learning-journalism-tech/photo-narratives-d77b812f99dd. (module 4)
Campbell, David. “Why It’s Time for Visual Journalism to Include a Solutions Focus.” Medium, Witness, 22 Jan. 2018, witness.worldpressphoto.org/why-it-is-time-for-visual-journalism-to-include-a-solutions-focus-5be15aec3afc. (Mod 4)
“How to Do Better Visual Journalism for Solutions Stories.” MediaShift, 22 Nov. 2017, mediashift.org/2017/11/visually-reporting-solutions-stories-newsrooms-classrooms. (module 4)
NPR. “These Are the Standards of Our Journalism.” NPR.org, www.npr.org/ethics. (module 4)
“WED: The Integration of Writing/Editing/Design.” Poynter, 20 Aug. 2002, www.poynter.org/archive/2002/wed-the-integration-of-writingeditingdesign. (module 4)
“In What Ways Do We Think about Visual Storytelling Every Day?” Multimedia Storytelling for Digital Communicators in a Multiplatform World, by Seth Gitner, New York, Routledge, 2015. (Mod 1)
“Storytelling.” Essentials of Visual Communication, by Bo Bergstrom, Laurence King Publishing, 2008. (Mod 1)
Montalto, Mike. “Worth 1,000 Words: The Four Principles of Visual Storytelling.” Amplifi, 12 May 2022, amplifinp.com/blog/4-principles-visual-storytelling. (module 1)