How to Create Narrative Photography

Compare a photograph of a still life of fruit or flowers with one taken of people in a street. Good examples of the latter would be anything in the recently discovered work of Vivian Maier, whose street photography is filled with examples of narrative photography. Her photographs draw you in to ask what has made this person laugh, what the story is behind the sailor watching three girls reading a newspaper on the steps, or what the hurry is to catch the train.

Look at the difference between a 19th century posed portrait taken in a studio with, for example, an image of American pioneers baling hay or standing around an old motor vehicle. While the posed sitter is interesting as a record shot, the story goes no further than what the sitter is wearing, her expression, or the height of the aspidistra. The pioneers, on the other hand, are full of interest for the wider narrative of the image ̵1; casual expressions and postures, a sense of fellowship and a story revolving around the activity: a life seen in context.

Look for stories to tell with your images. For instance, when photographing dinner guests, watch for the connections between people. Convey the mood of the dinner party rather than simply recording it. Vera Feyder, in her exhibition notes published in ̶0;Henri Cartier-Bresson ̵1; à propos de Paris,̶1; describes the photographer's skill in capturing ̶0; ̷0; the song of the rough red wine already drunk or to be drunk next time.̶1; Fade into the background and watch people. Take a long shot to place them in context, or come right in with a wide aperture, even as wide as f2.8 and home in on a shared expression or a sideways look.

Take your camera for a walk and look for the small picture within the big image. Remember the Cartier-Bresson image of a man jumping across a flooded area. Look for crowds of people getting on to a bus and include its destination on the front. An elderly couple holding hands in the park. Maybe she's holding flowers ̵1; is it their anniversary? Has he just proposed? Are they visiting their first meeting place again after many years? If you are asking questions as you compose your photograph, interpret the scene in front of you so that your photograph invites a viewer to ask the same questions.