Workshop Experience : Semester B Weeks 11 and 12 Telling a Story
©James Nachway
Well we have certainly changed a stride a little in the classes. At the start of this Semester we were just as focused on the technical craft of taking an image as much as the conceptual and aesthetic side of image making, and spent 50% or more of our class time out shooting and learning on the job so to speak.
With that behind us we are now zoning in on the creative strategies and techniques and leaving the technical craft side of things where they lay. We also split our time equally on portfolio image feedback for each of us as we start to produce and show our intended portfolio images.
We discussed and reviewed several photographers and the way they tell a story, portray a narrative, either in a single frame or in several frames presented as a series.
“Narrative is ... an account of connected events. A representation of a particular situation or process in such a way as to reflect or conform to a set of aims or values”
We reviewed again the standard photojournalistic approach to a narrative, where the photographer presents an opening establishing shot (normally wide angle), a people and or general shot, and environmental portrait, a detail or close up shot, an action and or activity shot, and then a closing shot. Outlines a linear narrative and guides the viewers through the images as a collective. Done !
As I mentioned earlier we are also spending more time on reviewing each others images and providing feedback.
For my Animate (Portrait) side of my portfolio I am thinking of doing a series on Mother Daughter portraits with a twist, as shown above. Its all about the right DOF and alignment, so I am putting in the hours on how to set up several friends that have offered to sit for it. Will see how it goes. The image above is also heavily overworked as i am discovering new and frightening PS capabilities.
Until next time!