Smartographs Photo Essay Contest / Discuss

Smartographs says:

As a quick clarification for all those that may be wondering, we've decided to define exactly what a photo essay is.

Photo Essays can contain any number of photos, film or digital, that somehow relay a story or a point. You don't want to have too many (50, for example, would be overwhelming), but you also don't want to have too few.

The essay should achieve a visual coherence through the integration of the pictures, their layout and even the occasional phrase. It is vital however, to remember that the pictures themselves are the focus.

A photo essay can tell or a story, evoke an emotion, set a tone or simply draw attention through it's flow. It's ordering can be chronological or an arrangement to best invoke the feel and flow that the photographer / author intends to invoke.

A simple point to remember, all photo essays are a collection of photographs of one sort or another... ...but a collection of photographs does not immediately equate to a photo essay.

For examples of some established and recognized Photo Essayists, click on the following list of names:
- Bruce Davidson
- W. Eugene Smith
- Walker Evans

Sources:
- Wikipedia
- Imperial Valley College
Originally posted at 7:31AM, 3 September 2008 PDT (permalink)
Smartographs edited this topic 46 months ago.