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Teknik penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah yang baik dan benar.
- August 10, 2021
Admin Dunia Dosen
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Penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah . Menambahkan gambar pada karya ilmiah ternyata perlu memperhatikan teknik penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah tersebut. Penambahan gambar memang tidak selalu dilakukan oleh penulis karya ilmiah. Sebab gambar sendiri termasuk dokumen tambahan, yang memberi penjelasan lebih.
Sehingga sifatnya tidak wajib, dan kemudian masih banyak pro dan kontra mengenai penambahan gambar tersebut. Beberapa beranggapan penambahan foto maupun gambar justru berpotensi mengurangi “kesakralan” dari karya ilmiah. Namun ada juga yang menilai penambahannya justru meningkatkan kualitas karya yang disusun.
Meskipun begitu, penambahan gambar dan foto tetap lumrah dan pada jenis karya ilmiah justru menjadi wajib. Yakni untuk mendukung pembahasan hasil penelitian atau di bab-bab sebelumnya. Jika merasa penambahan gambar ini perlu atau bahkan wajib, maka perlu memahami teknik penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah .
Sekilas Tentang Penambahan Gambar dalam Karya Ilmiah
Gambar pada dasarnya merupakan unsur tambahan dalam sebuah karya, dan bisa dijumpai atau ditambahkan penulis baik dalam karya ilmiah maupun non ilmiah. Teknik penambahan dan penulisan gambar sendiri tidak berbeda jauh dengan teknik penulisan tabel dan grafik pada karya ilmiah.
Penambahan gambar atau foto sesuai yang disampaikan sekilas diatas, memang masih dianggap tidak diperlukan. Hanya saja penambahannya bukan berarti “haram” untuk dilakukan, justru sangat diperbolehkan. Namun dengan beberapa catatan khusus yang perlu diperhatikan oleh penulis.
Misalnya perlu memperhatikan struktur dan kaidah penulisan karya ilmiah yang baik dan benar seperti apa. Selain itu, aturan khusus penambahan gambar adalah ditambahkan seperlunya. Jadi, jangan sampai karya ilmiah ini tampak seperti komik dimana deskripsi justru lebih sedikit dibanding gambar atau foto.
Penambahan atau teknik penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah juga perlu diatur dengan baik penempatannya. Sehingga penulis harus tahu di bagian mana penambahan gambar dan foto ini perlu dilakukan. Supaya tidak terkesan “memaksa” si foto dan gambar ini untuk masuk.
Jika dipaksakan, maka akan terlihat bahwa gambar dan foto ini justru menjadi unsur tidak penting yang akan mempengaruhi “kesakralan” dan kualitas dari karya ilmiah. Oleh sebab itu penulis karya ilmiah memang perlu memahami dulu teknik yang tepat untuk menambahkannya, dan nantinya akan dibahas di bawah.
Bentuk Kerangka Penulisan Karya Ilmiah
Contoh Karya Ilmiah
Manfaat Menambahkan Gambar
Meskipun bukan unsur utama, dan merupakan unsur tambahan atau pendukung namun penambahan gambar adalah sangat diperbolehkan. Selama memenuhi aturan yang sudah disampaikan sedikit di atas, sehingga tidak membuat persentase deskripsi karya ilmiah berkurang banyak.
Sebab karya ilmiah penting untuk menyajikan deskripsi isi, yakni hasil penelitian dengan lengkap dan detail. Oleh sebab itu jangan sampai harus dipangkas karena bisa membuat deskripsi tidak maksimal. Namun sekali lagi penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah memang pada beberapa kondisi diperlukan.
Penambahannya juga diketahui memberi sejumlah manfaat yang tentu menguntungkan bagi penulis sebuah karya ilmiah. Manfaat tersebut antara lain:
1. Membantu Visualisasi Data
Karya ilmiah tentu akan berisi hasil penelitian yang disampaikan dan dibahas secara tuntas lengkap dengan landasan teori yang digunakan. Menambahkan gambar pada tahap pembahasan akan membantu memvisualisasikan data yang dipaparkan. Sehingga bisa menjadi alat bantu bagi pembaca untuk memahami data tersebut.
Visualisasi data tentu penting untuk memperjelas semua informasi yang dibahas di dalam karya ilmiah. Sekaligus menunjukan bukti dari hasil suatu penelitian. Hal ini akan menguatkan hasil penelitian, karena dibuktikan dengan dokumentasi berbentuk gambar atau foto.
2. Membantu Memperjelas Informasi
Manfaat atau fungsi penambahan gambar dan foto juga untuk memperjelas informasi yang disampaikan dalam karya ilmiah. Kebanyakan karya ilmiah yang menambahkan gambar dan foto adalah makalah, namun bisa juga dari jenis artikel ilmiah yang diterbitkan dalam bentuk jurnal ilmiah.
Gambar dan foto ini akan menjadi sumber penjelasan yang lebih jelas. Sebab mewakili deskripsi, yang membantu pembaca menangkap informasi yang disajikan. Jika tidak bisa ditangkap dari teks deskripsi, maka dengan bantuan gambar dan foto pemahaman menjadi lebih mudah untuk dilakukan.
3. Memperjelas dan Mempertajam Deskripsi yang Terbilang Rumit
Jika dirasa deskripsi karya ilmiah yang disusun memang rumit dan cukup sulit untuk dijelaskan dan nantinya untuk dipahami pembaca. Maka penambahan gambar dan foto termasuk juga tabel maupun bagan menjadi wajib untuk dilakukan.
Sehingga bisa memperjelas isi karya ilmiah tersebut yang tadinya rumit menjadi lebih mudah dipahami karena tampil lebih sederhana. Penambahan gambar tentu juga membantu penulis untuk menjelaskan lebih detail dari pembahasan yang terbilang rumit tadi, sehingga sangat tepat untuk dilakukan.
4. Memudahkan Pembaca untuk Mengingat Deskripsi
Dibanding mengingat isi karya ilmiah dalam bentuk teks, memang mengingat dalam bentuk gambar jauh lebih mudah. Sehingga untuk penulis yang ingin membantu pembacanya agar lebih mudah mengingat apa yang dipaparkan di karya ilmiahnya. Bisa menambahkan foto dan gambar.
Hal ini akan memudahkan pembaca untuk mengingat setiap detail informasi di dalam karya ilmiah. Sehingga bisa menerapkan dan mengaplikasikannya kapan saja ketika memang dibutuhkan. Sebagai penulis, dijamin merasa lebih puas dan bangga ketika karya tulisnya bisa bermanfaat besar bagi pembaca.
5. Membuat Tampilan Karya Ilmiah Lebih Menarik
Perlu diakui bahwa menambahkan foto dan gambar akan membuat karya ilmiah yang tadinya tidak menarik menjadi lebih menarik. Karya ilmiah yang kaku akan berpadu dengan baik lewat gambar dan foto yang ditambahkan. Sebab foto dan gambar ini sifatnya fleksibel, mudah dipahami.
Supaya lebih mendukung tampilan karya ilmiah maka teknik penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah perlu diterapkan. Sehingga tidak asal dimasukan yang kemudian malah membuat tampilan karya ilmiah menjadi tidak menarik sama sekali.
Sebab keliru dalam menambahkan gambar dan foto justru akan merusak isi dari karya ilmiah tersebut. Oleh sebab itu, tetap perhatikan aturan dalam penulisan karya ilmiah. Sebab salah satu ciri khasnya memang teknik penulisan diatur sedemikian rupa, tidak hanya teks namun juga tabel, gambar, bagan, dan grafik.
Penulisan karya ilmiah tentu memiliki banyak tujuan, selain untuk tujuan pribadi juga untuk tujuan menyediakan referensi. Karya ilmiah yang disusun tentu diharapkan mampu memberi manfaat kepada semua pembaca. Sehingga penulis perlu mematuhi aturan atau kaidah dalam penyusunannya seperti apa.
Supaya karya ilmiah yang disusun menjadi lebih enak untuk dibaca dan dinikmati semua penjelasannya. Maka menambahkan gambar dan foto bisa dilakukan, karena bisa menjadi media untuk memperjelas maksud dari deskripsi. Selain itu juga bisa menjadi pendukung, yang menunjukan bukti hasil penelitian.
Misalnya saja meneliti pertumbuhan biji kecambah, selain data hasil penelitian ditunjukan dalam tabel. Juga bisa disertakan foto perkembangan biji kecambah tersebut selama masa penelitian. Sehingga bukti dari hasil pembahasan disertakan, yang kemudian membuat hasil penelitian lebih kuat dan akurat.
Tidak hanya itu, penambahan gambar dan foto yang memang sifatnya penting akan membantu membuat karya ilmiah lebih menarik. Pembaca akan lebih menyukai karya ilmiah yang mampu menampilkan informasi lebih detail, jelas, dan juga menarik. Jadi, tidak akan rugi menyisipkan foto dan gambar di dalam deskripsi karya ilmiah.
Jenis-Jenis Karya Ilmiah
Sistematika Penulisan Karya Ilmiah
Tata Cara Penulisan Gambar yang Baik dan Benar dalam Karya Ilmiah
Lalu, bagaimana teknik penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah ? Penambahan gambar memiliki aturan tertentu sebagaimana aturan dalam penambahan grafik, tabel, maupun bagan dalam karya ilmiah. Adapun aturan dan teknik dalam penulisan gambar adalah sebagai berikut:
1. Diberi Nama atau Judul
Teknik penulisan gambar yang pertama di dalam karya ilmiah adalah diberi nama atau judul. Sehingga setiap gambar dan foto yang ditambahkan wajib ditambahkan nama atau judul yang berfungsi sebagai keterangan. Judul ditulis dengan huruf kapital di huruf pertama awal kalimat.
Judul atau nama juga ditulis dengan huruf biasa, maksudnya adalah tidak dicetak miring atau dibuat Italic maupun dicetak tebal Bold . Tujuannya untuk memperjelas posisi atau fungsi dari gambar dan foto yang dimasukan. Sehingga penulisannya dibuat sama seperti jenis huruf dalam deskripsi.
2. Ditempatkan Di Antara Teks Deskripsi
Jika memperhatikan karya ilmiah yang menambahkan gambar di dalam deskripsi. Maka akan diketahui bahwa gambar dimasukan ke dalam teks, atau disisipkan di tengah teks deskripsi. Sehingga gambar selalu diapit oleh teks di atas maupun bawah.
Namun gambar tidak dibuat format atau text wrapping dalam bentuk through melainkan dalam format in line with text . Pengaturan text wrapping ini akan dijumpai pada saat menyusun naskah karya ilmiah di dalam Microsoft Word. Sehingga posisi gambar tidak menghalangi teks deskripsi.
3. Simetris di Tengah
Teknik penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah juga harus dibuat simetris di tengah. Sehingga pengaturannya tidak dibuat rata kanan maupun rata kiri, melainkan di center . Hal ini membantu merapikan posisi gambar atau foto tersebut agar tampak berdampingan dengan baik bersama teks deskripsi.
4. Diberi Nomor
Teknik berikutnya dalam penulisan gambar dan foto dalam karya ilmiah adalah diberi nomor. Nomor ini dibuat di depan judul atau nama gambar dan foto tersebut. Penulisannya melibatkan bab dimana gambar dan foto tersebut berada. Jadi, misal saat menjumpai nomor gambar: “Gambar 1.1”.
Maka artinya, gambar tersebut adalah gambar pertama yang ada di bab 1, jika ada di bab 2 maka penulisan nama menjadi “Gambar 1.2”. Artinya gambar tersebut merupakan gambar pertama yang berada di bab 2, dan seterusnya. Sehingga tidak hanya berisi nomor urut saja melainkan ditambahkan nomor bab.
5. Ditambahkan Sumber
Gambar dan foto yang didapat kemungkinan diambil dari sumber atau milik pihak dan orang lain. Sehingga semua gambar dan foto yang dimasukan ke dalam karya ilmiah wajib disertakan sumber. Gambar dan foto yang ditambahkan kemudian bisa bersumber dari beberapa media. Berikut detailnya:
- Gambar Milik Sendiri
Jika gambar dan foto yang dimasukan ke dalam karya ilmiah adalah milik sendiri. Misal foto hasil jepretan sendiri atau mungkin koleksi foto yang di post di akun media sosial pribadi. Maka penulisan sumber adalah sebagai berikut:
sumber gambar: dokumentasi pribadi
sumber foto: galeri foto pribadi
- Gambar Bersumber dari Situs Gambar
Gambar dan foto yang ditambahkan dalam tulisan bisa bersumber dari situs foto dan gambar. Seperti Freepik, Pixabay, dan sebagainya. Namun untuk karya ilmiah gambar dari sumber ini sangat jarang digunakan.
Sebab karya ilmiah lebih mengedepankan gambar yang mampu menguatkan deskripsi. Sehingga jika bukan koleksi pribadi maka dari karya ilmiah lain. Namun saat menulis karya non ilmiah mungkin pengambilan gambar ini akan dilakukan.
Maka sumber dicantumkan dengan menuliskan situs dimana gambar tersebut didapatkan. Khusus untuk situs gambar dan foto maka cukup alamat situs di halaman utama.
- Gambar dari Artikel Online
Sumber gambar dan foto juga bisa berasal dari artikel online, jika bukan artikel ilmiah maka gambar dan foto biasanya tidak akan dimasukan penulis karya ilmiah. Namun secara umum penulisan sumber dari artikel online ini adalah mencantumkan link artikel tersebut.
Teknik Tata Letak
Teknik penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah berikutnya adalah mengenai tata letak. Jarak antara sisi kanan kiri dokumen kerja adalah 3 spasi setelah teks. Sehingga gambar akan tampak lebih menjorok ke dalam dibanding teks deskripsi.
Namun bisa juga disesuaikan dengan ketentuan dari lembaga atau instansi tempat menyusun karya ilmiah. Misalnya dari perguruan tinggi memiliki aturan tersendiri, maka aturan yang dipakai adalah aturan tersebut bukan aturan umum.
Apabila Gambar Terlalu Besar
Bagaimana jika ukuran gambar cukup besar dan tidak memungkinkan untuk diperkecil? Jika hal ini terjadi maka gambar dan foto bisa ditempatkan di satu halaman khusus atau tersendiri.
Sehingga bisa menjumpai karya ilmiah yang memiliki gambar atau foto dalam satu halaman penuh. Hal ini lumrah dan diperbolehkan, sebab aturannya sendiri memang demikian.
Baca Juga:
Karakteristik Penulisan Karya Ilmiah
Cek Plagiarisme Karya Ilmiah
Karya Ilmiah untuk Kenaikan Jabatan Dosen
Pentingnya Penyuntingan Gambar
Selain menyesuaikan dengan aturan dan teknik penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah yang dipaparkan di atas. Penulis yang hendak menambahkan gambar maupun foto juga perlu mempertimbangkan proses edit atau penyuntingan terlebih dahulu. Tujuannya tentu saja untuk membuatnya lebih tajam dan jelas.
Proses penyuntingan ini beragam dan perlu disesuaikan dengan kebutuhan. Adapun bentuk penyuntingan yang umum dan sebaiknya sekaligus bisa dilakukan antara lain:
- Mengatur Ketajaman
- Memotong Bagian Foto atau Gambar
- Menggabungkan Beberapa Foto
- Memperkecil Ukuran Foto
Penyuntingan akan membantu meningkatkan kualitas gambar dan foto yang akan ditambahkan. Sehingga terlihat lebih jelas dan mudah dipahami oleh pembaca. Pembaca pun bisa dengan mudah menghubungkan informasi di dalam deskripsi dengan informasi di dalam gambar dan foto tersebut.
Sekaligus menjadikan karya ilmiah terkesan lebih profesional. Sebab karya ilmiah yang menyajikan informasi penting dan aktual, akan tampak dikerjakan sembarangan jika memakai gambar yang blur dan kotor. Inilah alasan kenapa penyutingan perlu dilakukan, apalagi jika memiliki gambar dan foto dari masa lalu yang sudah rusak.
Maka penyuntingan kemudian menjadi agenda wajib dan bahkan bisa memerlukan jasa editing foto profesional untuk mengatasi kerusakan yang cukup parah. Penyuntingan ini selain kembali menyempurnakan foto dan gambar, juga membuatnya lebih layak dimasukan ke karya ilmiah. Jadi, jangan asal memasukan gambar dan foto ke dalam karya ilmiah. Sebab ada teknik dan aturan tersendiri dalam penulisan gambar dalam karya ilmiah tersebut sesuai yang dijelaskan di atas. Semoga bermanfaat.
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How to Create a Photo Essay in 9 Steps (with Examples)
Photo Editing & Creativity , Tutorials
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What is a photo essay?
- Photo essays vs photo stories
- How photo essays help you
- 9 Steps to create photo essays
How to share your photo essays
Read Time: 11 minutes
Gather up a handful of images that seem to go together, and voila! It’s a photo essay, right? Well… no. Though, this is a common misconception.
In reality, a photo essay is much more thoughtful and structured than that. When you take the time to craft one, you’re using skills from all facets of our craft – from composition to curation.
In this guide, you’ll learn what makes a photo essay an amazing project that stretches your skills. You’ll also learn exactly how to make one step by step.
- Photo essay vs photo story
A photo essay is a collection of images based around a theme, a topic, a creative approach, or an exploration of an idea. Photo essays balance visual variety with a cohesive style and concept.
What’s the difference between a photo essay and a photo story?
The terms photo essay and photo story are often used interchangeably. Even the dictionary definition of “photo essay” includes using images to convey either a theme or a story.
But in my experience, a photo essay and a photo story are two different things. As you delve into the field of visual storytelling, distinguishing between the two helps you to take a purposeful approach to what you’re making .
The differences ultimately lie in the distinctions between theme, topic and story.
Themes are big-picture concepts. Example: Wildness
Topics are more specific than themes, but still overarching. Example : Wild bears of Yellowstone National Park
Stories are specific instances or experiences that happen within, or provide an example for, a topic or theme. Example: A certain wild bear became habituated to tourists and was relocated to maintain its wildness
Unlike a theme or topic, a story has particular elements that make it a story. They include leading characters, a setting, a narrative arc, conflict, and (usually) resolution.
With that in mind, we can distingush between a photo essay and a photo story.
Themes and Topics vs Stories
A photo essay revolves around a topic, theme, idea, or concept. It visually explores a big-picture something .
This allows a good deal of artistic leeway where a photographer can express their vision, philosophies, opinions, or artistic expression as they create their images.
A photo story is a portfolio of images that illustrate – you guessed it – a story.
Because of this, there are distinct types of images that a photo story uses that add to the understanding, insight, clarity and meaning to the story for viewers. While they can certainly be artistically crafted and visually stunning, photo stories document something happening, and rely on visual variety for capturing the full experience.
A photo essay doesn’t need to have the same level of structured variety that a photo story requires. It can have images that overlap or are similar, as they each explore various aspects of a theme.
Photo essays can be about any topic. If you live in a city, consider using your nature photography to make an essay about the wildlife that lives in your neighborhood .
The role of text with photos
A photo story typically runs alongside text that narrates the story. We’re a visual species, and the images help us feel like we are there, experiencing what’s happening. So, the images add significant power to the text, but they’re often a partner to it.
This isn’t always the case, of course. Sometimes photo stories don’t need or use text. It’s like reading a graphic novel that doesn’t use text. Moving through the different images that build on each other ultimately unveils the narrative.
Photo essays don’t need to rely on text to illuminate the images’ theme or topic. The photographer may use captions (or even a text essay), or they may let the images speak for themselves.
Definitions are helpful guidelines (not strict rules)
Some people categorize photo essays as either narrative or thematic. That’s essentially just calling photo stories “narrative photo essays” and photo essays “thematic photo essays.”
But, a story is a defined thing, and any writer/editor will tell you themes and topics are not the same as stories. And we use the word “story” in our daily lives as it’s defined. So, it makes far more sense to name the difference between a photo essay and a photo story, and bask in the same clarity writers enjoy .
Photo stories illustrate a particular experience, event, narrative, something that happened or is happening.
Photo essays explore an idea, concept, topic, theme, creative approach, big-picture something .
Both photo essays and photo stories are immensely powerful visual tools. And yes, the differences between them can certainly be blurred, as is always the case with art.
Simply use this distinction as a general guideline, providing extra clarity around what you’re making and why you’re making it.
To dig into specific types of images used to create powerful photo stories, check out this training: 6 Must-Have Shots for a Photo Story.
Meanwhile, let’s dig deeper into photo essays.
Capturing amazing wildlife photos requires not only passion and skill but also the right equipment.
This guide breaks down the best options so you can find the perfect camera for your specific needs , whether you're a beginner or pro.
Photo essays are a chance to try new styles or techniques that stretch your skills and creativity. This image was part of an essay exploring simplicity and shape, and helped me learn new skills in black and white post-processing.
How photo essays improve your photography
Creating photo essays is an amazing antidote if you’ve ever felt a lack of direction or purpose in your photography. Photo essays help build your photographic skills in at least 3 important ways.
1. You become more strategic in creating a body of work
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut of photographing whatever pops up in front of you. And when you do, you end up with a collection of stand-alone shots.
These singles may work fine as a print, a quick Instagram post, or an addition to your gallery of shots on your website. But amassing a bunch of one-off shots limits your opportunities as a photographer for everything from exhibits to getting your work published.
Building photo essays pushes you to think strategically about what you photograph, why, and how. You’re working toward a particular deliverable – a cohesive visual essay – with the images you create.
This elevates your skills in crafting your photo essay, and in how you curate the rest of your work, from galleries on your website to selecting images to sell as prints .
2. You become more purposeful in your composition skills
Composition is so much more than just following the rule of thirds, golden spirals, or thinking about the angle of light in a shot.
Composition is also about thinking ahead in what you’re trying to accomplish with a photograph – from what you’re saying through it to its emotional impact on a viewer – and where it fits within a larger body of work.
Photo essays push you to think critically about each shot – from coming up with fresh compositions for familiar subjects, to devising surprising compositions to fit within a collection, to creating compositions that expand on what’s already in a photo essay.
You’re pushed beyond creating a single pleasing frame, which leads you to shoot more thoughtfully and proactively than ever.
(Here’s a podcast episode on switching from reactive shooting to proactive shooting .)
3. You develop strong editing and curation skills
Selecting which images stay, and which get left behind is one of the hardest jobs on a photographer’s to-do list. Mostly, it’s because of emotional attachment.
You might think it’s an amazing shot because you know the effort that went into capturing it. Or perhaps when you look at it, you get a twinge of the joy or exhilaration you felt the moment you captured it. There’s also the second-guessing that goes into which of two similar images is the best – which will people like more? So you’re tempted to just show both.
Ultimately, great photographers appear all the more skilled because they only show their best work. That in and of itself is a skill they’ve developed through years of ruthlessly editing their own work.
Because the most powerful photo essays only show a handful of extraordinary images, you’re bound to develop the very same critical skill (and look all the more talented because of it).
Photo essays are also a great stepping stone to creating photo stories. If you’re interested in moving beyond stand-alone shots and building stories, shooting photo essays will get your creative brain limbered up and ready for the adventure of photo stories.
A photo essay exploring the natural history of a favorite species is an exciting opportunity for an in-depth study. For me, that was a photo essay on emotive images of the American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) as it hunts in streams.
9 Simple steps to create your photo essays
1. clarify your theme.
Choose a theme, topic, or concept you want to explore. Spend some time getting crystal clear on what you want to focus on. It helps to write out a few sentences, or even a few paragraphs noting:
- What you want the essay to be about
- What kinds of images you want to create as part of it
- How you’ll photograph the images
- The style, techniques, or gear you might use to create your images
- What “success” looks like when you’re done with your photo essay
You don’t have to stick to what you write down, of course. It can change during the image creation process. But fleshing your idea out on paper goes a long way in clarifying your photo essay theme and how you’ll go about creating it.
2. Create your images
Grab your camera and head outside!
As you’re photographing your essay, allow yourself some freedom to experiment. Try unusual compositions or techniques that are new to you.
Stretch your style a little, or “try on” the style of other photographers you admire who have photographed similar subjects.
Photo essays are wonderful opportunities to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and grow as a photographer .
Remember that a photo essay is a visually cohesive collection of images that make sense together. So, while you might stretch yourself into new terrain as you shoot, try to keep that approach, style, or strategy consistent.
Don’t be afraid to create lots of images. It’s great to have lots to choose from in the editing process, which comes up next.
3. Pull together your wide edit
Once you’ve created your images, pull together all the images that might make the cut. This could be as many as 40-60 images. Include anything you want to consider for the final essay in the wide edit.
From here, start weeding out images that:
- are weaker in composition or subject matter
- stand out like a sore thumb from the rest of the collection
- Are similar to other stronger images in the collection
It’s helpful to review the images at thumbnail size. You make more instinctive decisions and can more easily see the body of work as a whole. If an image is strong even at thumbnail size to stand out from similar frames while also partnering well with other images in the collection, that’s a good sign it’s strong enough for the essay.
4. Post-process your images for a cohesive look
Now it’s time to post-process the images. Use whatever editing software you’re comfortable with to polish your images.
Again, a photo essay has a cohesive visual look. If you use presets, filters, or other tools, use them across all the images.
5. Finalize your selection
It’s time to make the tough decisions. Select only the strongest for your photo essay from your group of images.
Each image should be strong enough to stand on its own and make sense as part of the whole group.
Many photo essays range from 8-12 images. But of course, it varies based on the essay. The number of images you have in your final photo essay is up to you.
Remember, less is more. A photo essay is most powerful when each image deserves to be included.
6. Put your images in a purposeful order
Create a visual flow with your images. Decide which image is first, and build from there. Use compositions, colors, and subject matter to decide which image goes next, then next, then next in the order.
Think of it like music: notes are arranged in a way that builds energy, or slows it down, surprise listeners with a new refrain, or drop into a familiar chorus. How the notes are ordered creates emotional arcs for listeners.
How you order your images is similar.
Think of the experience a viewer will have as they look at one image, then the next, and the next. Order your images so they create the experience you want your audience to have.
7. Get feedback
The best photographers make space for feedback, even when it’s tough to hear. Your work benefits from not just hearing feedback, but listening to it and applying what you learn from it.
Show your photo essay to people who have different sensibilities or tastes. Friends, family members, fellow photographers – anyone you trust to give you honest feedback.
Watch their reactions and hear what they say about what they’re seeing. Use their feedback to guide you in the next step.
8. Refine, revise, and finalize
Let your photo essay marinate for a little while. Take a day or two away from it. Then use your freshened eyes and the feedback you received from the previous step to refine your essay.
Swap out any selects you might want to change and reorder the images if needed.
9. Add captions
Even if you don’t plan on displaying captions with your images, captioning your images is a great practice to get into. It gives context, story, and important information to each image. And, more than likely, you will want to use these captions at some point when you share your photo essay, which we dive into later in this article.
Add captions to the image files using Lightroom, Bridge, or other software programs.
Create a document, such as a Google or Word doc, with captions for each image.
In your captions, share a bit about the story behind the image, or the creation process. Add whatever makes sense to share that provides a greater understanding of the image and its purpose.
Photo essays allow you to explore deliberate style choices, such as a focus on shapes, patterns, textures, and lines. Since each photo is part of a larger essay, it encourages you to be bold with choices you might not otherwise make.
5 Examples of amazing nature photo essays
1. “how the water shapes us” from the nature conservancy.
This gorgeous essay, crafted with the work of multiple photographers, explores the people and places within the Mississippi River basin. Through the images, we gain a sense of how the water influences life from the headwater all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Notice how each photographer is tasked with the same theme, yet approaches it with their own distinct style and vision. It is a wonderful example of the sheer level of visual variety you can have while maintaining a consistent style or theme.
View it here
2. “A Cyclist on the English Landscape” from New York Times’ The World Through A Lens series
This photo essay is a series of self-portraits by travel photographer Roff Smith while “stuck” at home during the pandemic. As he peddled the roads making portraits, the project evolved into a “celebration of traveling at home”. It’s a great example of how visually consistent you can be inside a theme while making each image completely unique.
3. “Vermont, Dressed In Snow” from New York Times’ The World Through A Lens series
This essay by aerial photographer Caleb Kenna uses a very common photo essay theme: snow. Because all images are aerial photographs, there’s a consistency to them. Yet, the compositions are utterly unique from one another. It’s a great example of keeping viewers surprised as they move from one image to the next while still maintaining a clear focus on the theme.
4. “Starling-Studded Skies” from bioGraphic Magazine
This beautiful essay is by Kathryn Cooper, a physicist trained in bioinformatics, and a talented photographer. She used a 19th century photographic technique, chronophotography, to create images that give us a look at the art and science of starling murmurations. She states: “I’m interested in the transient moments when chaos briefly changes to order, and thousands of individual bodies appear to move as one.” This essay is a great example of deep exploration of a concept using a specific photographic technique.
View it here (Note: must be viewed on desktop)
5. “These Scrappy Photos Capture the Action-Packed World Beneath a Bird Feeder” from Audubon Magazine
This photo essay from conservation photographer Carla Rhodes explores the wildlife that takes advantage of the bounty of food waiting under bird feeders . Using remote camera photography , Rhodes gives viewers a unique ground-level perspective and captures moments that make us feel like we’re in conversation with friends in the Hundred Acre Woods. This essay is a great example of how perspective, personality, and chance can all come into play as you explore both an idea and a technique.
25 Ideas for creative photo essays you can make
The possibilities for photo essays are truly endless – from the concepts you explore to the techniques you use and styles you apply.
Choose an idea, hone your unique perspective on it, then start applying the 9 simple steps from above.
- The life of a plant or animal (your favorite species, a species living in your yard, etc)
- The many shapes of a single species (a tree species, a bird species, etc)
- How a place changes over time
- The various moods of a place
- A conservation issue you care about
- Math in nature
- Urban nature
- Seasonal changes
- Your yard as a space for nature
- Shifting climate and its impacts
- Human impacts on environments
- Elements: Water, wind, fire, earth
- Day in the life (of a person, a place, a stream, a tree…)
- Outdoor recreation (birding, kayaking, hiking, naturalist journaling…)
- Wildlife rehabilitation
- Lunar cycles
- Sunlight and shadows
- Your local watershed
- Coexistence
As you zero in on a photo essay theme, consider two things: what most excites you about an idea, and what about it pushes you out of your comfort zone. The heady mix of joy and challenge will ensure you stick with it.
Your photo essay is ready for the world! Decide how you’d like to make an impact with your work. You might use one or several of the options below.
1. Share it on your website
Create a gallery or a scrollytelling page on your website. This is a great way to drive traffic to your website where people can peruse your photo essay and the rest of the photography you have.
Putting it on your website and optimizing your images for SEO helps you build organic traffic and potentially be discovered by a broader audience, including photo editors.
2. Create a scrollytelling web page
If you enjoy the experience of immersive visual experiences, consider making one using your essay. And no, you don’t have to be a whiz at code to make it happen.
Shorthand helps you build web pages with scrollytelling techniques that make a big impression on viewers. Their free plan allows you to publish 3 essays or stories.
3. Create a Medium post
If you don’t have a website and want to keep things simple, a post on Medium is a great option.
Though it’s known for being a platform for bloggers, it’s also possible to add images to a post for a simple scroll.
And, because readers can discover and share posts, it’s a good place for your photos to get the attention of people who might not otherwise come across it.
4. Share it on Instagram
Instagram has changed a lot over the last couple of years, but it’s still a place for photographers to share their work thoughtfully.
There are at least 3 great ways to share your photo essay on the platform.
– Create a single post for each image. Add a caption. Publish one post per day until the full essay is on your feed. Share each post via Instagram Stories to bring more attention and interaction to your photo essay.
– Create a carousel post. You can add up 10 photos to a carousel post, so you may need to create two of them for your full photo essay. Or you might create a series of carousel posts using 3-4 images in each.
– Create a Reel featuring your images as a video. The algorithm heavily favors reels, so turning your photo essay into a video experience can get it out to a larger audience.
I ran a “create a reel” challenge in my membership community. One member created a reel with her still images around a serious conservation issue. It gathered a ton of attention and landed her opportunities to share her message through YouTube and podcast interviews and publishing opportunities. Watch it here.
5. Exhibit it locally
Reach out to local galleries, cafes, pubs, or even the public library to see if they’re interested in hanging your photo essay for display. Many local businesses and organizations happily support the work of local artists.
6. Pitch your photo essay to publications
One of the best ways to reach an audience with your work is to get it published. Find publications that are a great fit for the theme and style of your photo essay, then pitch your essay for consideration. You gain a fantastic opportunity to share your work widely and can earn a paycheck at the same time.
Remember that if you want to get your photo essay published, you may want to hold back from sharing it publicly before you pitch it to publications.
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How to train your brain to see solutions in photo stories so that you can engage your audience and gain the interest of editors.
This surprisingly powerful tool will help you both make time for your photography AND make great forward progress on your projects.
If you do these 3 things, you’ll have a share-worthy story your viewers feel connected to and inspired by.
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