Storytelling in photography can be tricky, often leaving you wondering if you've captured something meaningful or if you're just overthinking the whole idea. Yet, understanding how stories form within an image can significantly improve your photographic approach and ultimately strengthen your pictures.
Coming to you from Andy Banner, this thoughtful video tackles the essence of storytelling without complicating it unnecessarily. Banner highlights that storytelling doesn't always need to dominate your images overtly. Sometimes, it's subtle, residing quietly in the details or in the activity itself, like workers unloading a ship or a neglected lighthouse door suggesting abandonment and history. Banner points out that while many images naturally suggest a story, overthinking it might stifle your creativity. Instead, let the story gently emerge from your composition choices and how you perceive what's in front of your camera.
The video further emphasizes the relationship between storytelling and composition. Banner illustrates how careful composition can make or break the narrative of an image, guiding viewers' eyes toward or away from the story you want to tell. He gives a particularly insightful example involving juxtaposition—an old lighthouse alongside a modern car—to emphasize how contrasting elements in a composition can spark viewer curiosity and interpretation. Banner urges you to consider your framing carefully, explaining that storytelling often involves decisions about what to exclude rather than include. His down-to-earth advice reminds you to simplify compositions to avoid confusing or overwhelming the viewer.
Banner expands on the challenge of interpreting storytelling in everyday photography. He shares the compelling concept that stories can be subjective—an image’s narrative can vary greatly depending on who's viewing it. He suggests viewing photographs as book covers: images that convey stories without explicitly stating them, prompting you to reflect on what made that particular image the ideal choice. He also discusses how capturing human elements, such as candid street scenes or portraiture, naturally enriches storytelling. Banner advises that understanding your subject can yield images with deeper, more relatable narratives. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Banner.
