As a photographer I approach each and every job as an opportunity to tell a story in photos. And often times the end product is actual book. This is one of the key things I provide for the DC Girls on the Run – a photo book that they can show to their board and funders of all the work they do. Regardless if I am charged with capturing an event or just my vacation, the elements of how to approach the task of visual storytelling are the same…at least for me
Let me dive right in and explain my own internal process for telling a story with my end goal of creating a keepsake book.
Remembering that you are there to not only record the event/vacation — but to tell a story is just a different mindset.
Pre-visualize. I always take a moment to pre-visualize my vacation or event and what it might look like. If it is a commercial client or event, I will ask for a shot list – a list of specific shots the clients specially wants me to capture. If not provided a shot list or it is a personal event like my vacation, I might even draft my own shot list of details and things I know I don’t want to miss. For instance, the kids building a sandcastle, using the super soakers at the beach, getting temporary tattoos, eating ice cream at our favorite shop, riding bikes, etc. This helps me stay on mission when shooting the elements of my story.
Storytelling. All good stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. So start there – what do those parts look like, who is there, what are they doing? In addition think ways in which you can visually explore the setting you are in, describe the characters who make up the story, the plot or action of your event. Use your pre-visualization to help guide you through the elements of the story. If you are shooting digital, you are not confined by rolls of film or the cost to develop it. So shoot away and know that you will pare it down to only the best.
The Details. The difference between a random photos of family in front of major landmarks and true storytelling books are the details. Details help you tell your story, by showing the viewer where and what to focus on. What does the hotel/house/tent/surroundings look like? Shoot your surroundings with a wide lens and closeups shots of small telling details. Instead of having everyone pose and mug for the camera, take you camera out and shoot the ordinary everyday things you do on vacation – time spent at the beach building sand castles, riding the waves, throwing the football, riding bikes, reading books, fishing, hiking, etc. Try to capture a shot of just the sandcastle, the bucket and the shovel, the hands covered in sand, the shells used for decoration. Those tiny elements help your viewer be in the moment of the sandcastle building fun.
Organize, cull and edit. The greatest part about digital is that you can shoot and shoot and shoot until your hearts content! Your only limitation is the space on your hard drive. So don’t limit yourself, shoot away. When it is over you never know what shot, which detail, what silly face is the most memorable and captures the vibe and feel of your event. In the end the photo-book you create is a way to bring you back to the moments that made up your event or vacation. The photos you select should make you care and communicate how you felt in those moments. Great stories not only tell you what happened, they make you feel it too. When the vacation is over look at your images. Is there a theme that runs throughout? Is there a natural story line unfolding? Pick the strongest photos that grab your heartstrings and take you instantly back. You don’t have to include every single image. Use the best one. Gather photos from your friends and relatives to get their perspective. And don’t forget your iPhone pictures! They may not be of the highest quality but you can always include them in your story. Your iPhone/smartphone is a great way to capture parts of your adventure when you don’t want to or can’t bring a camera.
Photo Books. I love to end my summer with at least one photo book that represents our vacation. Being a pro I have access to a number of fantastic labs and I design all my own books in Photoshop. However there are great options out there for those with no skills in layout and design. Here are my picks of book photo book makers for parents. The best part is each book maker has pre-designed templates to help you layout your story
- iPhoto. Of course you must own a Mac to have access to iPhoto and sadly I have yet to find a PC program that is similar. But if you do own a Mac, iPhoto is fantastic. IPhoto does it all right on your screen. It takes your images and helps you create a layout based on the number of photos you have. What I like about iPhoto is that it makes it easy, no extra software to download and just enough options to customize but too much to overwhelm you. And like everything Mac related – it’s easy, simple, and clean. Just what you expect from a Mac. I don’t even mind the “made on a Mac” on the last page. But if it really bothers you, cover it up with your own label or sticker that gives you (the photographer!) credit.
- MPIX. I send all my clients to MPIX for all their personal photo printing needs. MPIX is the consumer lab or one of my pro labs and they have a range of great products to chose from. I think their quality is heads and tails above some other more well known online photo labs. MPIX books gives you multiple options and allows for more customization with their per-designed templates. Upload your images to an album and you can drag and drop into the layout you like.
- Blurb. This is a great resource for those who want a little more control and and have a little more design savvy. I know a number of photographers who self publish their own photo books using Blurb. They have three levels of design control based on your skill set. For parents designing their first book I recommend the first level because you can do it all online. A great feature is that you can integrate your photos from you Flickr, Smugmug, Picasa, and Photobucket accounts – which makes sharing and uploading simple and easy. You have simple layout options, multiple fonts for text and when your masterpiece is finished you can upload your finished book to your Facebook account or your family blog to really show it off.
To give you some inspiration Here are some layouts of the book I have designed in the past:
The Girls on the Run 5K in June 2011
Some spreads from various summer trips to the beach with friends.
And some spreads of my kids in 2011 using the images from my 365 Project
Happy book making!
