There are common elements to picture stories including; title, headline as well a writing captions and headings within your piece. One of the most well-known picture stories is one created by Eugene Smith titled Country Doctor. Nowadays, newspapers are becoming less and less and are faced with competition through the internet, film and cinema. Photographers now have to compete with the media world. The oldest and most well known photographic company is Magnum Photos, often if a photographer is on Magnum they’ve made it in the photographic world.
Deconstructing a Picture Story
every photographer sees things differently so there is no right or wrong was of making your own picture story
there is no set way that a picture story is made
Recurring images
These are the most generic/common images that you would expect to see in a picture story
who is the person? What are they doing? How are they doing it? In what context are they doing it [different shot types/lens’ that the photographer uses telephoto lens – creates a narrow depth of field, wide angle lens. The environment that they are in]
person at work
– this is simply making an image of a person in the work place and in their own working environment
relationship shot
– what is the nature of someones relationship with someone/something? These type of image tends to have more than one person in it showing the relationship between the two subjects in the photograph
detail shot
– gives more layers to the picture story and is often a close up of the little details within the environment that the photographer is in
establishing shot
– this is the largest and most important image. It gives context and tells the spectator what is going on so they have a clear understanding with looking at the very first image. It sets the scene and the mood for the rest of the images within the picture story. These images usually have a strong focal point to draw the spectators attention to exactly what the photographer wants them to see
portraits
– this image is the basic image of a person to show who is being photographed as well as the other shots setting up the environment and the atmosphere of where they are.
environmental shot
– this is the shot that gives the spectator an insight to where the subject is and their surroundings
Eugene Smith – Country Doctor
Eugene Smith was born in 1918 and was an American photojournalist. Smith made photo journalistic images during World War II, the French Equatorial Africa as well as his most famous work following the dedication of an American country doctor and a nurse midwife.
