What are the Elements of a Photo Essay?

Photo essays combine art and journalism to create a compelling narrative that tells your story to the viewer. The key to successful photo essays is the careful selection of photos that support your story and convey the theme and emotions you want to express.

The lead image is the first photo in your photo essay that draws the viewer into your story. It can be a portrait, an action shot, or an overarching photo that gives a sense of your subject’s environment or the overall situation.

You should also capture a variety of shots so that you have more options when editing and compiling your photo essay. Getting more than one of each type of shot is always a good idea, because you never know what will work best in your final composition.

Action shots show your subject doing something, such as an activity or event. This is the sort of photo that some photographers spend their entire shoot trying to perfect — but it’s not essential for an authentic photo essay. Getting all the other shots in first can help you craft a strong narrative that your action shot will complement and support.

Other types of shots to capture include culturally specific clothing or a person’s personal space over time. You can also use your photo essay to highlight a social issue such as gender discrimination, racism or domestic violence.