I still remember the first time I saw Steve McCurry’s “Afghan Girl” – it was like being punched in the gut. This one image, shot with a Nikon FM2¹, told an entire story of war, loss, and resilience. The girl’s piercing green eyes seemed to hold a thousand words, and I was hooked. I realized then that storytelling in a single frame wasn’t just about capturing a moment, but about conveying a message that resonates with the viewer.
Look at the work of Sebastião Salgado, who uses his camera to tell the stories of marginalized communities². His images, often shot with a medium format camera like the Pentax 645³, are not just visually stunning, but also deeply empathetic. They invite the viewer to step into the world of his subjects, to feel their struggles and their triumphs. That’s what I believe storytelling in photography is all about – creating a connection between the viewer and the subject.
It’s not just about the technical aspects of photography, like aperture and shutter speed. Those are important, don’t get me wrong, but they’re just the foundation. The real magic happens when you start thinking about composition, lighting, and mood. I think that’s where most photographers go wrong – they get so caught up in the technicalities that they forget about the story they’re trying to tell.
The rule of thirds, for example, is a great starting point for composition, but it’s not a hard and fast rule. Sometimes, placing your subject dead center in the frame can be incredibly powerful. Just look at the work of Richard Avedon, who often used a plain white background to isolate his subjects⁴. The simplicity of the composition draws the viewer’s eye straight to the subject, and the story begins to unfold.
Lighting is another crucial element in storytelling. Natural light, artificial light, it doesn’t matter – what matters is how you use it to set the mood and tone of the image. I believe that lighting can make or break an image, and it’s something that I’m always experimenting with. I’ve spent hours shooting in the golden hour, when the light is soft and warm, and I’ve also shot in the harsh midday sun, when the light is intense and dramatic. Each type of light has its own unique character, and it’s up to the photographer to decide which one best serves the story.
The camera itself is just a tool, a means to an end. It’s the photographer’s eye, their vision, that brings the story to life. I’ve seen amazing images shot with a smartphone, and I’ve seen terrible images shot with a top-of-the-line DSLR. It’s not about the gear; it’s about the person behind the camera.
I’ve been experimenting with film photography lately, shooting with a vintage Leica M6⁵. There’s something about the process of shooting with film that slows me down, makes me more intentional with each shot. I think that’s what’s missing from a lot of modern photography – the intentionality, the thoughtfulness. We’re so used to shooting digitally, to being able to review and delete our images instantly, that we’ve lost sight of what’s truly important.
The story.
That’s what it’s all about. Not the camera, not the lens, not the lighting. The story. And if you can convey that story in a single frame, then you’ve done something truly remarkable.
I think that’s why I love the work of Cindy Sherman so much⁶. She’s a master of storytelling, using her camera to explore themes of identity and representation. Her images are like little puzzles, inviting the viewer to piece together the narrative. And that’s what I believe storytelling in photography should be – an invitation to the viewer to engage, to participate, to become a part of the story.
It’s not always easy, of course. There are times when the story just doesn’t come together, when the elements don’t align and the image falls flat. But that’s all part of the process, the experimentation, the trial and error. I believe that’s where the real learning happens, in the moments of failure and frustration.
So don’t be afraid to take risks, to try new things, to push the boundaries of what’s possible. That’s where the magic happens, where the story comes alive. And if you’re lucky, if you’re persistent, you might just create something truly remarkable – a story that resonates with the viewer, a story that stays with them long after they’ve walked away from the image.
Check out the work of Magnum Photos, a collective of photographers who are dedicated to telling the stories that need to be told⁷. They’re a great example of how photography can be used to raise awareness, to inspire change. And if you want to learn more about the technical aspects of photography, I recommend checking out the website of Joe McNally, a photographer who’s known for his expertise in lighting and composition⁸.
References:
¹ Steve McCurry, “Afghan Girl,” National Geographic, 1984.
² Sebastião Salgado, Workers: An Archaeology of the Industrial Age, Aperture, 1993.
³ Pentax 645, medium format camera, released in 1984.
⁴ Richard Avedon, In the American West, Dia Art Foundation, 1985.
⁵ Leica M6, 35mm film camera, released in 1984.
⁶ Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Stills, Museum of Modern Art, 1997.
⁷ Magnum Photos, collective of photographers, founded in 1947.
⁸ Joe McNally, The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes, New Riders, 2009.
