Hello! I am Aly (aka @alygraphs). Mom to two boys and 50 houseplants. My family lives in Metro Atlanta, Georgia. I am a Click Pro as well as an avid over-commiter so I also am involved with about 4 hubs on Instagram. I consider my self an “eclectic storyteller” and dip into a little of everything with both personal photography and client photography.
Gear: Canon 6D with Sigma 24mm 1.4, Fuji xt100, iPhone 8s Plus
What is Storytelling?
We hear this word thrown around all the time in the photography world. Photographers use it to brand themselves but it is also seen as somewhat of a “goal” to be a storyteller. People LOVE to relate to imagery or feel like they are there. I think we all desire intimate connections with each other, and for those of us not great with words (HELLO! haha), it helps us connect and engage with similar people.
Documentary photography is storytelling, but Storytelling isn’t always Documentary
Documentary photography is quite amazing, raw, and generally unaltered. The fun with Storytelling photography is sometimes you can add your own magic that maybe wasn’t necessarily true to the moment, but it adds to what you want to tell. While this is NOT okay in the documentary word, it is perfectly fine in the Storytelling genre!
This photo was altered in a way that would not be acceptable in the Documentary world. The shark was added from the image directly following this one.
I enhanced the light and strategically removed things from this frame to tell the "story" I wanted to tell.
Be patient.
A large part of an interesting “storytelling” image is going to be the moment you capture and also the composition. I spend a lot of time with my camera to my face clicking the shutter during “good” moments to hope that I captured what I wanted. When you think the moment is over, keep shooting just a little longer. Sometimes my best shots are the ones that come directly following the “moment”.
Don’t be afraid to be honest.
This is what I have to remind myself of constantly. Messy kitchen with dishes everywhere but also an epic dance battle happening??! SHOOT the moment! Maybe you can edit the “mess” out later, or maybe you should embrace it and acknowledge that the dance party always takes importance over the dirty dishes. Don’t apologize for the mess. Don’t explain why it’s there. It’s part of the story. Free yourself from worrying. You have my permission. Let’s make a point this month to not miss moments because of a messy house, car, etc.
Don’t let the moment pass because the light isn’t ideal.
The age old problem of “but won’t my photos be SO grainy?” Well... Yes, but that shouldn’t stop you from shooting! Artificial light can actually be quite pleasant, and I find it converts beautifully to black and white. You could also play with a slower shutter speed and embrace the blur from movement as part of the story. Don’t stop shooting just because the sun is gone!
You can tell a story without people.
Still life is slowly becoming a favorite of mine. Observing my surroundings is a huge part of becoming a good storyteller, and there are so many stories to be told that don’t include people. Take time to look at your home when it’s not perfect and clean. What stories does it tell? What does the light coming through the windows say?
Shoot what you want to tell.
To tell stories, you really need to have a camera accessible somewhat constantly. I do this in two ways. My children are (almost) 4 and 2, so occasionally they get a little frustrated if I CONSTANTLY have my camera out.
I choose 2-3 days a week to bring my camera everywhere with us, or make a point to document moments throughout those “chosen” days. I learned early on that some kids (mine, haha) don’t like to be constantly photographed. If I have on and off days, it has helped us all to be happier, and I can focus more on what I am shooting on my “shooting days”.
Use the camera you have with you! That’s right, your good ole trusty cell phone. I will touch on this a bit more.
Wait, you want me to use WHAT camera?!
Yes, you heard me right! Use that camera that (we all know) is most likely always nearby. No, it won’t be the BEST, and no, you might not have as much control, but telling stories isn’t perfect. The moment is what we want, and the camera in your pocket will always be the best if that’s all that you have.
I personally use an iPhone 8s Plus and shoot and edit within Lightroom CC mobile (it’s free!). Did you know you can shoot in RAW through Lightroom mobile? Did you ALSO know you can do almost all the same editing in LR mobile as on your desktop? Yes even dodging/burning and spot removal and use the same presets as on your desktop!
Using Lightroom Mobile CC
To access your camera on Lightroom Mobile, click the Camera icon in the lower right.
Once at the camera screen, select the lower left option and click "professional". You can then switch the image capture from JPEG to DNG (raw) which is done at the top middle.
Cell phones shoot in a different ratio than a standard camera, so I choose to edit that ratio before I shoot. I select the three dots in the upper right and change my shooting ratio to 3:2. You also can see that you can control exposure, shutter speed, ISO and WB!
