TGJ 2O1 - Visual stories in Photography

The photo essay or visual story is a unique way to tell a story and explore a particular subject in depth, using the magic of photography. Click the following links below to research more.
Go to the following wikipedia site and read through the information on the photo essay.
And then check out this site on 5 photo essay tips and read through the information.
Also, take a look at Jan Sochor's photo essays. Notice the variety of images used to tell a complete story about a place, situation or theme.
And finally, this site simply called The Photo Essay.

Your Assignment:
We will be documenting the lakeshore area through photography. Once you have researched the photo essay and taken a look at some documentary photography, think about a subject that you might like to focus on for your photo essay. Don't be afraid of the "mundane". For this assigment, the ordinary can be extraordinary. Find the story in the details of your subject. It could be anything from a crossing guard to the local corner store. It could even be a study of a street corner, or a building. Study your subject using a variety of camera angles and shots. Use your proximity to and distance from the subect as a zoom lens to get wide, medium and close-up shots. You should be portraying your subject in the context of the environment, as well as through close-ups and details to tell the whole story. Once this assignment is finished, we should have a variety of pieces that make up a whole. As a class, we will decide what to do with the finished products - make a book, a website, a display (or all three).

Write a brief paragraph describing your intent for this assignment. This must be discussed with your teacher and approved before you can take a camera out. You may need more than one day to shoot. That's okay. If you shoot one day and find gaps in your story, feel free to go back a second day - if your subject is okay with it.

Always ask permission if you are photographing a person. You can't possibly get the required close-ups if you are trying to be a spy. Be up front about what you are doing and be patient. Wait for the person to relax and forget about the camera so that you can capture them in a more natural light - doing their everyday things.