10 tips for telling a story with your images

Whatever you capture, you often want to convey a story or a feeling with your images. But how do you actually do that? And how do you turn a number of separate photos into a coherent series with a story? We explain everything about storytelling with 10 tips.

Tip 1: Prepare well

Before you start with storytelling, it's important to think about which story you want to tell. What do you need for it? And in which setting? For example, do you capture an angry person while the weather outside is beautiful, or do you go for symbolism and wait until it rains? Once you've decided which story you want to tell with your images, it's time to find a subject. Think about this during your preparation as well.

Tip 2: Photograph multiple perspectives

If you want to tell a story, it can pay off to capture the same story from different perspectives. It's tempting to take overview shots, because they quickly tell a big story, but they can also be distracting. Don't be afraid to take a close-up now and then. When you work your story into a photo series, the different perspectives also come in very handy.

Tip 3: Think about the colours

We often link colours to emotions. Many people associate red with love and passion, for example, while cool colours like blue and yellow often symbolise sadness. By giving your photo certain colours, think of the clothes someone wears or their make-up, you can create a well-considered atmosphere within your story.

Tip 4: Make a photo series

You can already tell a story with a single image, so imagine what you can tell with a photo series. Still, making a photo series isn't necessarily easier. You have to think about every photo individually, but also as a whole. In fact, each photo in a series tells a chapter of the whole story. This takes a lot of preparation, but the end result can be stunning.

Tip 5: Choose strong photos

When you want to tell a story with your photos, you naturally choose the photo in which the story comes across most strongly. To make sure the intended story reaches the viewer, you can ask people around you what story they see in your photo. When you make a photo series with a story, remember that the first and last photos are the most important. These are usually the photos that stick with people, so they should be the strongest.

Tip 6: Think about the lighting

In photography, lighting is very important, because light gives your images atmosphere. Is it a bright day and a cheerful story? Or are the curtains closed and are you capturing a sad moment? You can also play with the direction of the light. Perhaps the light falls on just one of the faces of the people you're photographing, focusing attention on their story. Be sure to experiment with this!

Tip 7: Stay on the sidelines

When you photograph, you often want to keep everything under control. But it can also pay off to take photos as a 'fly on the wall'. The people you're photographing forget you're there, and you can capture raw emotions. You document what happens and tell an unscripted story from a distance.

Tip 8: Try using a filter

With a filter, you can easily give your images a certain effect. By using a polarising filter, for example, your colours become more vivid, and so does your image. You can also choose a mist filter, which usually gives your images a dreamier atmosphere. This can contribute to the story you want to convey!

Tip 9: Think outside the box

There are no written rules or manuals for storytelling. That makes it the perfect opportunity to colour outside the lines and push boundaries. Want to use the colour red to convey anger instead? Go for it! Or would you rather capture loneliness in a crowd? We won't stop you. There's no right or wrong in storytelling. After all, you're telling your story.

Tip 10: Tell your story

Every photo tells its own story. As the photographer, you decide what that story is. Be original and let your style shine through in the photo. It's your story and your image.

When you want to tell a story with your photos, there's plenty of room to experiment. Seize this opportunity! Who knows, you might capture a completely different image than you planned, one that fits the story even better.

Share your result

Have you taken a beautiful photo? Then share it with us for a feature on our Instagram account. Use the hashtag #KameraExpress or tag Kamera Express in your post. And don't forget to follow us for plenty of inspiration.