What Is a Photo Essay?

17 Examples
and Ideas
Craig Hull

A photo essay is intended to tell a story or evoke emotion from the viewers
through a series of photographs. They allow you to be creative and fully
explore an idea.
So hereʼs a list of photo essay examples. Choose one that you can do easily
based on your photographic level and equipment.

1. Photograph a Protest
Protests are like local events. You will find people, some will be standing,
some will be moving, some will be holding banners and signs. This is a great
way to practice on a moving crowd.
Try to capture the essence and atmosphere of the protest itself. There are
many ways to do so and you will need to utilise all your skills.
Think about framing, composition and perspective. Run to the front and
capture the head of the group moving forward. Then run towards the back
to capture the families walking along.
There will also be bystanders standing on the sides watching it all unfold.
These challenges will help you improve fast.
2. Transformation Photo Essay
Transformation is one of the most used photo essay topics, and that is
because it is a great way to show change. The change can be slow, such as
a woman going through pregnancy, or watching a baby turn into a toddler
and beyond.
As a photo essay project, this doesnʼt even need to be about people. A
building being torn down and rebuilt can make for a great time-lapse or
series of images.
This is a great way to practice how to show change through images. You will
need to be creative and meticulous in your approach. You will need to take
the same image over and over again, but changing them enough to be
interesting.
People love these projects because you photograph the old with the new.
Life goes by so fast that we often forget what something looked like,
compared to how it looks now.
3. Photograph the Same Place
Have you seen the movie ‘Smoke‘ with Harvey Keitel? His character goes
out every morning at the same time and takes a photograph. The photo is
from the front of his shop.
He then prints the image and stores them in huge photo albums. Another
character flips through these images to see all the different scenarios.
This is an easy photo essay to do as you use a simple set up. It might be a
challenge to find somewhere accessible to you at the same time every day.
The great thing about this photo essay project is that you can do it of
anything.
The only prerequisite being that the areas need to change somewhat from
day to day.

4. Create a Photowalk
As a photographer based in Budapest, I give guided photography tours. The
idea is that you join me for three hours, and in that time I show you the
streets and how to photograph them.
You will learn about your camera, how to use composition and know what to
look for. There is nothing stopping you from doing the same in your
hometown. This can make for a really interesting photo essay.
Have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, and create it as if you were
teaching someone else. Look at reflections to photograph buildings. Or
change your perspective to photograph people in different settings.
Repeat this until you are comfortable enough to give this as a tour. Once
you know that route inside out, start again in a different area.

5. Follow the Change Photo Essay

This photo essay is like the transformation essay but on a short-term basis.
Think about men growing their moustaches for Movember. Or someone
who wants to shave their head for charity.
You start by taking a before image, and the end result of an afterimage, with
many photographs between.
This is great practice in photographing people but also documenting their
change. You will need to work on your feet and find different ways to
capture the same person going through this change. This will be
challenging, especially if you are in the same space.

6. Photograph a Local Event

No matter where you live, there will be countless local events throughout
the year. They might be fundraisers, farmersʼ markets, dances and festivals
or food and music.
Their organisers will need a photographer. Even if itʼs just for social media
images.
They may even offer you money, and if not, they will share the images for
you, with your name attached. Here, you will capture candid images of
people going about their way.
This is a great way to practise capturing emotions and atmosphere. As it is
local, you will meet and network with many people who will need a
photographer in the future. Keep your business cards with you.

7. Photograph an Abandoned Building

Urban exploration or Urbex is a thing. It is where you enter an abandoned
building for the sake of (interest and) photography. It is a great social
commentary on the state of our world.
Abandoned buildings also show us how life used to be. Itʼs time travel
without a time machine. They make for great photo essay shoots as the
amount of details is very high.
Get permission and enter, but be careful as these buildings can be
dangerous. Photograph the rooms and the details. This means youʼll have to
work with different lenses.
You will get the hang of photographing rooms, looking at light, patterns,
shapes and forms. You are also in no hurry, so you can practise to your
heartʼs content.
For more information about Urbexing, read our article here.

8. Behind the Scenes of a Photo Shoot

I used to assist fashion photography studio shoots. This means I had the
great opportunity to see what happens behind the scenes.
For me, behind the camera is way more interesting than what is happening
in front of it. The models pose, and hundreds of images are taken, so it can
be slow and drab.
Behind the scenes, however, you have the stylists working on outfits, fixing
hair and makeup. This all happens between the shoots and usually in a rush.

9. Capture Street Fashion

If you have ever read Fruits, you will know what street fashion can be like. I
have even heard of a street in Milan where people walk up and down,
showing off their best styles.
You can easily photograph these styles, in a sort of street photography way.
You will also capture portraits while having to be mindful of your
environment and surroundings.
And you can even stop people in the street for a quick pose. Photographers
have stopped in one location while photographing those who walk past.
Here, the background stays the same, and only the people change.
Offer to send the people a JPEG of themselves, which they can share with
your details. They will be more willing to help you.

10. Landmark Photo Essay

One photo essay idea that I have always wanted to try is to photograph one
landmark from many different vantage points. Think about it. Look at the
Eiffel Tower, and how many collection of images have been taken of it.
All are from many different angles ranging from many different distances
away. This is a great way to practise your positioning and composition
through different perspectives.
You can incorporate details and a down-up viewpoint, you can photograph
it from above utilising a drone. And there are thousands of ways to capture
it through streets and using reflections.
The landmark is your study, and it will help you look at the light during
different times of the day.
A similar photo essay idea would be to take the images of the landmark
from other people from the same vantage point. Unsplash is perfect for this.

11. Fathers & Children Photo Essay

We live in a very different time than we did 50 years ago. Or even 20 years
ago, as more and more fathers stay at home and look after the kids.
A great photo essay example would be to capture these small families to
show this as social commentary for the times we live in.
These portraits and group photographs are a great way to practise and
start building up a network of people. The first images are always going to
be the most difficult to take. But once you pick up speed, you will have
images to show and persuade the next group.
They can use a few of the images and share them, and they may even buy a
few others from them. Families always need more photographs to hang on
their wall.

12. A Day in the Life of…

There are going to be many jobs and careers that people do that you have
no idea about. A great way to understand what people get up to in their
day-to-day is to follow them and photograph as you go.
For example, a photo essay entitled ‘A day in the life of a firemanʼ will get
you access to inside the station, documenting what they get up to on their
downtime. You may not be able to go put out a fire with them, but you never
know.
This is great practice for documentary images, capturing portraits and still
life of all the equipment they use. Again, let them use the images for social
media.
Also, pass on the photo essay to the local council as they may be able to
help with an exhibition, and spread your work too. This might get you paid
work in the future, as now you are a person who gets stuff done. Bravo!

13. Education Photo Essay

One great way to support your community, and possibly even get some of
your photographs published is to photograph inside a school. You may find
it difficult at first, but lay down your intentions to those in charge.
Offer to let them use and share the image as they see fit. Wham. You now
have a team of people sharing and liking your images. They are giving you
promotion all over Facebook and other social media channels. Perfect.
Get into the classrooms, photograph the students and the teachers during
their daily grind. Be as invisible as you can, but involve and integrate those
interested when and where you can. There is a whole slew of things to
photograph.
Chemistry labs, teachers taking a break and even documenting the
preparation of food for lunch.

14. Fictitious Meals Photo Essay

One great photo essay example is putting all those great works of
literature to good use. Think about all of the meals that characters in books
have eaten.
Some will be as fictitious as the names of the characters eating them. Think
of the gruel in Oliver Twist. Make the meals as realistic as possible, with
table settings and appropriate mise en scène.
If you need some help photographing food for your photo essay, read our
post here.

15. Photograph Coffee Shops Using Cafenol

Cafenol is a film photography chemical that sits in place of the developer.
The developer is what strips the film down to a negative after it has been
exposed. The cafenol is made partly from instant coffee granules,
hence the name.
A great photo essay idea would be to photograph a coffee shop, the staff,
the patrons and the equipment and then using coffee that they serve as a
film developer.
Not only does it give the film a sepia/vintage tint, but it makes each series of
prints personal to each place.
16. Photograph the Photographers
How many times have you seen tourists photograph the same landmark?
These landmarks or ‘points of interestʼ are magnets for foreigners, all
hosting cameras and taking the same shot. Sometimes, even pretending to
hold up or grab the landmark themselves.
As the area in question has already been captured, why not go 180 degrees
in the opposite direction for your photo essay. Exactly. You will be
photographing the people, who are the artists rarely seen.
These images will be somewhat comical as it is a social statement of our
lives and our cultures.
17. Capture the Neighbours
One great photo essay would be to localise your efforts. No matter where
you live, you will have neighbours. unless you live out in the sticks, then you
will have to find someone elseʼs neighbours. This would be a great way to
get into portrait photography.
What a perfect scenario would look like is capturing the people in their own
space. And everyoneʼs space is completely different.
You will come across stay-at-home fathers, night-shift workers, grandmas
with heirlooms, musicians and families. There is no telling what is behind
these doors. It is a great way to work on your feet, and also meet those who
make up your community.
All of these people will come and meet each other at the exhibition you will
hold. Your local council (if youʼre in the UK) might see this community effort
and offer you some help.
Still looking for inspiration for your photo essay? Why not check out our top
20 young photographers or photography websites of 2018!

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