NZPhotographer Issue 56, June 2022

Developing a Story
by Alan Blundell
In the last article of this series, we will look at ‘Developing a Story’ – how to progress
from taking single shots to thinking about building a body of work over a longer
period, with several images, telling a story as part of a project.
WHY A PROJECT
Up to this point, the focus has been on trying to combine
a huge number of attributes into that single image. Of
course, it’s almost impossible to build all the elements
above into one moment and crystalise them into a
perfectly formed frame. So much is left unsaid at times
- why was this happening, where, and how? There is a
place to leave the viewer of your images to speculate,
but what if you wanted to control the narrative and tell a
more complete story about a particular subject or idea?
This is where street photography can morph into more
of a documentary project.
PLANNING A PROJECT
So, how does one go about setting up a project? My
advice would be to choose something or someone
that you are passionate about. In your mind, there
should be a reason why you would want to share
what you know, have discovered or are seeking to
learn about a particular subject.
Start by jotting down an outline using the following
broad:
• What attracts you to this?
• Why do you feel the need to share?
• How will you convey the story, feelings, and
emotions attached to your idea?
THE ENVIRONMENT
Generally, a street or documentary project will have
a setting and a subject. Remember, this isn’t like the
spontaneous single shots you have been used to
taking. Spend some time visiting the location before
you start shooting for what might last anything from
a whole day to several weeks. Look at all the details
around the edges of your project or subject that help
set the overall scene. Talk to any of the people that
might feature in the project and ask them what they
feel about the situation – this can provide valuable
insights into how you might end up conveying the
story.
COPY
I’ve found that writing, even small amounts of text
that accompany my photos, to be hugely beneficial
in helping to galvanise thinking about my work. My
view is that even if you don’t publish the copy with
the images, it’s worthwhile to make notes about your
thinking – what motivated you to the subject as a
whole, and what were the small details you chose to
include in the group of images you shot. How did all of
this thinking galvanise your project idea?
CURATION
Once you have taken as many shots as you feel
are adequate to convey your story, print them off
at postcard size and lay them out on a big table.
Eliminate images that don’t ‘speak’ to you about the
subject, and decide on a minimum number of really
special images, as few as three and as many as a
dozen, that take the viewer through a journey from
start to finish.
ELIZABETH’S KITCHEN
I’ll briefly share a small project I completed a couple
of years back.
Just before COVID hit in 2019, I met 92-year-old
Elizabeth struggling with her groceries at the top of
some stairs leading down to her home in Kelburn. After
giving her a hand and learning she was living alone,
we exchanged details. We kept in touch during the
lockdown, and I was able to help her with the odd
shop, drop her off some books to read, and so on. It
was a very challenging time for her.
When the lockdown concluded in 2020, Elizabeth
wanted to have my wife and me around for a
cuppa to say thanks. I took my camera in the hope
of her agreeing to a few shots in her meticulously
kept kitchen. Although there wasn’t much time
to plan and shoot this series, I entered the series of
photos below in a competition and made the final.
It was nice to be able to chat with Elizabeth in her
environment and hear some of her stories of how she
emigrated from the UK, her family, and life in NZ.
56 June 2022 NZPhotographer