最近在DPS上看到了这篇很感兴趣的文章，个人觉得比较适合初入纪实拍摄的朋友阅读，毕竟作者的语言浅显，通俗易懂，对于精要更是一笔道破。

另据，柯达已经放话，将在两年内把彩色胶卷退场。为什么是彩色胶卷？一句话，黑白银盐技术目前还无法被数码影响取代。希望技术的进步让我们有更多的完美手段，而不是选择器材上的迷茫。

——Toohearts

本文在译言的链接 http://www.yeeyan.com/articles/view/toohearts/14827

关于图片故事的5个提示
文/DPS    译/Toohearts

今天由Christina Nichole Dickson为我们讲解图片故事的相关内容。Christina是任职于 Revolutionary Media 的报道摄影师，同时也是 Institute in Photographic Studies 的指导教师。她的作品见于个人网站 Christina Nichole Photography。

在过去的20年中，电影与视频作为当代媒体叙述故事的形式，已经占据主导地位。但在视频手段出现之前，摄影则被广泛使用。不仅如此，摄影作为一种讲故事的手段，已经延续了100年。

现今，叙述故事所产生的力量更应该被广泛的利用。但仅仅技术过硬的摄影师并不一定能制作出杰出的图片故事。一组富有冲击力的叙事图片一定是出自一位能够理解故事背后丰富感情与非凡观念的深刻的摄影者。

这种形式的叙事图片被称作图片故事（photo essay）

什么是图片故事？

图片故事是指一组以特定顺序排列，用来表达事件、情感或思想的发展进程的图片。在诸如Lauren Greenfield、James Nachtwey 以及 Joachim Ladefoged这样的世界级摄影师的实践中，图片故事已经成为一种将简单故事融入视觉领域的手段。

关于图片故事的5个提示

图片故事的形式并不只是为报道摄影师（摄影记者）所准备的，每个人都会被故事所吸引。无论业余还是职业，图片故事都应成一种渠道，让你的图片更好的贴近生活，融入家庭和朋友之间。

1、找到主题：如果你的拍摄有针对的项目或确定的计划，那么图片故事会变得更加有力。不论你所记录的内容是新生儿的第一个月、一出校园剧的制作还是一个生日聚会，你的主题必须是你所感兴趣的。

2、做些考察研究：如果你想记录新生儿的第一个月，就要花时间与他/她的家庭接触。去看看父母是谁，他们出身于怎样的社会文化，属于怎样的阶层。对于一出校园剧的制作，就要和老师学生们谈话、与演职员们交流；调查一下学生们的普遍兴趣何在，看看他们如何管理演出资金、如何压低成本。如果你的拍摄内容是一个生日Party，去了解聚会的主题是什么，采用的装饰与执行的晚会程序有什么特别，过生日的孩子希望得到什么礼物。所有这些因素都会有助于你更好的规划和拍摄你中意的故事。

3、找到“真实的故事”：在研究之后，你便可以决定拍摄（或说陈述故事）的角度。那个新生儿是让家族产业得以继承的第一个孩子么？孩子是否还有罕见的先天心脏病？剧组所付出的努力是否能让那出校园剧备受瞩目？其中是否可以诞生出一颗新星？那个生日聚会是否意味着一个青春期少年正将步入13岁？或者是垂死的癌症患者的最后一个生日？每一个故事都有太多相像，是不同的关键元素创造出一个个让人难以置信的独特故事。

4、有力的图片故事必须建立在特有的核心价值（或言核心感情因素）的基础之上，并且这样的价值或者感情必须触动观众的心灵。愤怒、喜悦、恐惧、痛苦、激动，使你的图片故事和观众得以相通的最好手段就在于，将故事中的感情提炼出来然后在运用在你的拍摄中。这并不同于你在掌控（抑或操纵）观众的感情。你仅仅是以感情作为连接你与观众的桥梁。

5、拍摄计划：对于你的图片故事，不论你是希望坐下来展开关于拍摄的种种想象，还是仅仅在思想的空旷处闲逛几步，都必须考虑并最终选择最有效的拍摄方式来陈述你的故事。我建议新手先列出一个“拍摄清单”。这样，每一个镜头都会像一段文字当中的句子一样各就其位。典型地来讲，你可以从10幅图片开始，每幅必须着重表达一个观点或一种感情，使这些图片和其中内涵能有机地相互交织，最终形成图片故事的草稿。

必须记住：提高讲故事的能力需要不断地实践。你不一定非要成为一位能够制作强有力图片故事的非凡作者。你所需要的是一定的摄影技术、创造力以及处处留意生活的心。一旦开始为故事而拍摄，你会发现，图片总是多种多样，出乎意料。

——原文——
链接 http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/5-photo-essay-tips/

5 Photo Eassy Tips
By DPS

Today Christina Nichole Dickson looks at the topic of Photo Essays. Christina is a photojournalist for Revolutionary Media. She is also an instructor with the Institute in Photographic Studies. Her work may be found at Christina Nichole Photography.

In the last twenty years, video and film have become the predominant forms of modern storytelling. But before video, there was photography. And for the last one hundred years photography and storytelling went hand in hand.

Now more than ever, the power of storytelling ought to be harnessed. But telling a story with photos takes more than just a skillful photographer. An impacting photo story can only be developed by skillful photographers who understand the emotions and concepts behind ever-great story.

The form of such a story is called the photo essay.

What is a Photo Essay?

A photo essay is very simply a collection of images that are placed in a specific order to tell the progression of events, emotions, and concepts. Used by world class photojournalists such as Lauren Greenfield and James Nachtwey, and Joachim Ladefoged to name a few, the photo essay takes the same story telling techniques as a normal essay, translated into visual images.

5 Photo Essay Tips

A photo essay isn’t simply for photojournalists however. Every human being is drawn to stories. Whether you are an amateur or a professional, the photo essay is a brilliant way to bring your images to life and touch your family, friends, and coworkers.

1. Find a topic: Photo essays are most dynamic when you as the photographer care about the subject. Whether you choose to document the first month of a newborn in the family, the process of a school drama production, or even a birthday party, make your topic something in which you find interest.

2. Do your research: If you document a newborn’s first month, spend time with the family. Discover who the parents are, what culture they are from, whether they are upper or lower class. If you cover the process of a school’s drama production, talk with the teachers, actors and stage hands; investigate the general interest of the student body; find out how they are financing the production and keeping costs down. If you photograph a birthday party, check out the theme, the decorations they plan on using, what the birthday kid hopes to get for his or her gifts. All of these factors will help you in planning out the type of shots you set up for your story.

3. Find the “real story”: After your research, you can determine the angle you want to take your story. Is the newborn the first son of a wealthy family on whom the family legacy will continue? Or does the baby have a rare heart condition? Is the drama production an effort to bring the student body together? Or is it featuring a child star? Is the birthday party for an adolescent turning 13, or the last birthday of a dying cancer patient? Though each story idea is the same, the main factors of each story create an incredibly unique story.

4. Every dynamic story is built on a set of core values and emotions that touch the heart of its audience. Anger. Joy. Fear. Hurt. Excitement. The best way you can connect your photo essay with its audience is to draw out the emotions within the story and utilize them in your shots. This does not mean that you manipulate your audience’s emotions. You merely use emotion as a connecting point.

5.Plan your shots: Whether you decide to sit down and extensively visualize each shot of the story, or simply walk through the venue in your mind, you will want to think about the type of shots that will work best to tell your story. I recommend beginners first start out by creating a “shot list” for the story. Each shot will work like a sentence in a one-paragraph story. Typically, you can start with 10 shots. Each shot must emphasize a different concept or emotion that can be woven together with the other images for the final draft of the story.

Remember that story telling takes practice. You don’t have to be an incredible writer to pull off a powerful photo essay. All you need is a bit of photographic technique, some creativity, and a lot of heart. And once you begin taking pictures in stories, your images will never be the same.
In part II of this series on Photo Essays, I will give a practical example of how I apply these techniques in a photo essay of my own.