The Photographer's Story: The Art of Visual Narrative

by Michael Freeman

Having already taught you how to compose and interpret great photos, Michael Freeman now continues his best-selling series by exploring the most successful methods for presenting photography meaningfully and in an engaging format. This is the critical "next step" that separates adequate image galleries from captivating collections - and disinterested viewers from enthralled audiences.Tapping into his decades of experience shooting for such publications as Smithsonian, GEO, and Condé Nast Traveller (among many others), Michael Freeman studies the photo-essay phenomenon that took the world by storm and gave storytellers a completely new set of tools to construct their narratives. Having established how rhythm, pacing, and careful organisation build tension and cultivate interest, Freeman goes on to explain what this means for presenting your own photos, particularly in the new digital formats of online galleries, slideshows, and tablets.The Photographer's Story will enliven your images, refresh your perspective, and elevate your understanding of how photographs work together to tell a story. Your audiences will thank you for it.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Art

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2012

About the author

Librarian note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Michael Freeman is a professional photographer and author. He wrote more than 100 book titles. He was born in England in 1945, took a Masters in geography at Brasenose College, Oxford University, and then worked in advertising in London for six years. He made the break from there in 1971 to travel up the Amazon with two secondhand cameras, and when Time-Life used many of the pictures extensively in the Amazon volume of their World's Wild Places series, including the cover, they encouraged him to begin a full-time photographic career.

Since then, working for editorial clients that include all the world's major magazines, and notably the Smithsonian Magazine (with which he has had a 30-year association, shooting more than 40 stories), Freeman's reputation has resulted in more than 100 books published. Of these, he is author as well as photographer, and they include more than 40 books on the practice of photography - for this photographic educational work he was awarded the Prix Louis Philippe Clerc by the French Ministry of Culture. He is also responsible for the distance-learning courses on photography at the UK's Open College of the Arts.

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm very interested in photo essays, and how to tie photos together to make a compelling story. This book I think is geared toward professionals, but it gave good food for thought for me as well. I'm a blogger and I'm interested in the slideshow/movie aspect of putting photos/videos together to tell a story. The last chapter in the book ("Online and Linear") deals with this aspect of storytelling. All of the book was fascinating, with gorgeous photos for inspiration.

[Ionut Trufin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting addition to "The Photographer's ..." series that deals with the presentation part in regards to our photography. Whether it's digital or analog support, you get to learn a bit about how to organize your shoot if you are aiming to have it included in an article, book or just a simple slideshow. Not everything applies to everyone, of course.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. I wanted to learn about how to tell a story with photos, and I think the books helps perfectly, outlining the principles of visual narrative. It is just an introduction, in my opinion, but the information in this book goes a long, long way.

[Axel Flodin vacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives great examples on how to make photo essays, articles and books. Even for an amateur photograph like me there are some lessons to be learned here, but the book is otherwise far better for people trying to make a career of photography.

[Rafa Chapa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative

A book containing useful information but a bit repetitive at the second half

Read it on a tablet and the constant back and forth with the links leaves you kind of lost at times even losing attention to what the link came from

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic work by one of my favorite photography Freemans (the other being Freeman Patterson 😊). Highly recommend Michael's works for a lush exploration of spirit, heart, and technical know-how in the world of photography and the place of the photographer within it.

[Askar Ibragimov · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book does just what it says on cover - talking about series of images, that is, stories.

It is not as packed with data as main Freeman books (Eye, Mind) and I give it "ok" rating.

What it does:
- tells how to produce and lay out a story

What it does not do:
- very short mention of narrative images per se (when story is encapsulated in single image, just like in Narrative paintings). Check James Gurney online blog, however, for some pointers (for example http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.fi/2014...).

Other downsides:
- The text can be structured more. Sure, there are chapters, but the point author is making can be more articulated in the text. Text is abundant and looks like a recorded monologue, which makes it a tedious task to find out bits of advice across the text.
- A bit repetitive, I felt like same info can be fitted in 50% less volume.
- Some space spent on biographic stuff.


I would recommend this book to someone who is intending to do what author talks about - creating a magazine or other media photo series. After reading this book you will have a solid idea how to do so. But for any other purpose it might be irrelevant.

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Importante para consolidar aspectos das aulas. Péssima tradução, devia ter comprado a versão original.

[Osner · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great book and I learned new things. I think it needs deeper information because sometimes I felt it wasn't enough.