Photo-essay

Form of visual storytelling

A photographic essay or photo-essay for short is a form of visual storytelling, a way to present a narrative through a series of images. A photo essay delivers a story using a series of photographs and brings the viewer along a narrative journey.^[1]

Examples of photo essays include:

A web page or portion of a web site.
A single montage or collage of photographic images, with text or other additions, intended to be viewed both as a whole and as individual photographs. Such a work may also fall in the category of mixed media.
An art show which is staged at a particular time and location. Some such shows may also fall into other categories.
In fashion publishing especially, a photo-editorial – an editorial-style article dominated by or entirely consisting of a series of thematic photographs.

Photographers known for their photo-essays include:

W. Eugene Smith^[2]
Ansel Adams^[3]
- Adams's Born Free and Equal (1944) documented Japanese Americans held at the Manzanar War Relocation Center during World War II.
Gordon Parks' A Harlem Family are acclaimed for showing a glimpse into the lives of the sick and impoverished.
James Nachtwey^[4]
William Klein^[5]
Peter Funch's much-reposted photo series,^[6] for which Funch photographed the same street corner for nine years.
Henry Grossman — known for his photographs of celebrities such as John F. Kennedy and the Beatles, Grossman published numerous photo-essays of Broadway for Life magazine.^[7]

Many photo-essays moved from printed press to the web.^[8]

References

^ "How to Create a Photo Essay: Step-by-Step Guide With Examples – 4 Photo Essay Examples". MasterClass. 8 November 2020.
^ "W. Eugene Smith's Landmark Photo Essay, 'Nurse Midwife'". time.com. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
^ "Ansel Adams in Color - Photo Essays". time.com. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
^ "Haiti: Out of the Ruins - Photo Essays". time.com. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
^ William Klein, lensculture.com. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
^ Fulleylove, Rebecca (2 October 2017). "Peter Funch has photographed the same people on the same street for nine years". It's Nice That.
^ Koziin, Allan. 2012. The Beatles, seen from unusual angles. New York Times, December 31, 2012, accessed 7-June-2014.
^ Šinková, Veronika (20 June 2012). "Fotoesej a fotoreportáž v internetových verziách svetových denníkov či týždenníkov". Charles University. Retrieved 2018-06-14.