Hello everyone! My name is Emily Flodstrom, and I’m probably a bit of a familiar face to many of you in this community. This is my 3rd year participating in the p52clicks project, and my 2nd year as part of the admin team. Storytelling is definitely my jam, and I don’t mean the delicious fruity spread that I put on my morning toast. I can usually be found wandering instagram under the unsuspecting handle @emilyflodstrom.
Like many others in this group, I started my photography journey to help freeze the moments of my children’s childhoods, and what better way to do this than the theme of “storytelling.” My goal over the last few years has been for my images to tell an accurate story of my kids childhoods, and give viewers a real life glimpse into those everyday emotions, moments, and memories. Let's be real, we aren't all perfect, and I want my kids to have pictures that they can look back on and know that they are genuine, and not just some pretty highlight reels. I love to photograph the fun and exciting things like our adventures and milestones, but things like sad moments, sibling arguments, and boring afternoons stuck at home are all just as important to me, too.
Distance learning in a nutshell
The art of Storytelling can be done in a few ways, with “documentary” and “conceptual” being the main two. My personal style is leans heavily in the documentary style, because as a full time Registered Nurse, mom of 2 kids, wife, personal chef, homework tutor, house manager, financial planner, and finder of all the missing toys + laundry, I never feel like I have time to plan anything ahead of time. Documentary storytelling has allowed me to find my own voice and personal style in the photography world, and really helps fill my cup as far as personal creativity and happiness. My favorite things to photograph have been the different stages my kids have gone through over the years, and how their skills, interests, and personalities have changed and blossomed. Catching them in their own element of their bedrooms is one of my favorites!
You don’t have to have an amazing adventure or Pinterest worthy home to create beautiful storytelling images, in fact, I think the most powerful storytelling images are the ordinary moments happening in messy kitchens and cluttered bedrooms. All you need is something that you feel like is worth remembering or worth sharing, even if it's only for yourself. The story can be something as noteworthy as your baby’s first steps or family vacations, or something as mundane as grocery shopping or family pizza night. Sometimes the images that tell the best stories are the ones that you just stumble upon.
Tornado season in Texas - everyone piled in the bathroom.
Hanging on by a thread
Reminders of pandemic baking, and my daughter's growing desire to have her own space
Let's jump into storytelling elements, shall we? Some of the things that I think are most important in storytelling photography are elements such as emotion, color, light, composition, and authenticity. I want my viewer to really FEEL something when looking at my image, and know what was going on in that moment that it was captured. Colors and light can really impact the way you interpret a story as well - bright/warm colors can convey happiness and positivity, and dark/cool colors may show sadness or nervousness. So much of our day that is worth documenting doesn't happen during the beautiful golden hours, so learning how to harness the full sun or capture dark corners of bedrooms was important to me. Push your ISO and embrace the grain - chances are, no one will even notice it in your images. As for authenticity - we all know when we watch a movie with bad acting, and I feel like that can come across in images as well! Capturing genuine emotions such as joy and excitement is so much more fun than a kid cheesing it up forcefully, and helps give your audience all the feels. Pull your viewer in, and let them uncover the story you want to share.
Colors and light play a big role in the emotions conveyed in both of these images
One of my biggest tips for storytelling photography is keeping your camera out in an easy to grab location. This allows you to let the stories tell themselves. If I see my kids doing something that I want to photograph, I think about my camera settings on my way to grab my camera, and dial them in quickly as I walk back to my kids. In super rushed situations, I’ll sometimes throw my camera into an aperture priority mode for a super fast snap, or just get it as close as I can and cross my fingers that my RAW files will be a little more forgiving if my settings are off.
If my kids are really absorbed in whatever it is that they were doing, after I get my initial image, I'll look for other angles or viewpoints to capture from. I think about what it is that I want my viewer to see most, and if there's a better way to show it. Sometimes that means changing up where I am, like shooting through a doorway, from above, or close up in the action. Sometimes that means changing up my settings, like increasing my f stop so more is visible in the scene, or opening it up so the viewer is drawn in to one particular focal point. It's nice when I can take a quick glance at the back of my camera and see if there's anything that bothers me about the composition, or see if there are distracting elements that I can incorporate better or eliminate altogether. Over time my kids have become pretty desensitized to my camera being out, and have learned to continue on living their best lives without worrying about what I’m doing behind my lens. This is my favorite because I feel like I’m better able to capture their stories authentically, and see the world through their eyes.
Next big tips: Don't be afraid to shoot in public, and use the camera you have on hand.
My camera goes almost everywhere with us, and while at first it was a little awkward to shoot in public places, I got over it pretty quickly. I realized that no one thinks twice about seeing someone taking a photo or selfie with their phones, so they probably don't care if I'm taking a photo with my big camera! My everyday purse is actually a mini backpack, and it's super easy to toss my nikon camera in the bag as we head out the door. I have learned over the years that if you take a moment to choose the camera that is most appropriate for where you are going and what you'll be doing, and you're more likely to actually use it. I would never bring my mirrorless or DSLR to a waterpark, but my cellphone (in a waterproof lanyard) or GoPro are perfect! Cell phone cameras have come such a long way, and there are even ways to shoot in RAW format on many phones. We take our phones with us almost everywhere, may as well put them to use other than the mindless scrolling. When shooting with something that I can't necessarily dial all my settings in (such as my iPhone, GoPro, or drone), I make sure to still pay attention to things like composition, framing, light, and emotion.
Summer vacation, 2021
Out and about with my Nikon or iPhone
Summer fun with friends - shot on DJI mini 2 drone
Throwing sandy chips to seagulls - shot on GoPro Hero 8
My next tip for storytelling photography is to back up and capture more of the scene. Putting a bit more space between you and your subjects can help ease up awkwardness or pressure that kids might feel, and getting more of the environment can help add context to your story. If I feel like a room is super messy and distracting, sometimes I’ll use layering to help decrease distractions like having something close in the foreground or help frame my subjects. Most of the time my 35mm lens lives on my camera because I love how it allows me the flexibility to get back up to get more in the scene, or move in closer to my subjects. Experiment with different lenses in different environments, and see what pulls at your heartstrings most.
Sometimes when I notice some beautiful light in a certain area of the house, I'll gently guide my children to play in that spot by setting out something I know they can't resist, and just wait patiently for the moment to unravel.
I love capturing little details from our day, even if they seem insignificant. A little handwritten note from my son, drawings, or the little flowers picked and given to me by my daughter after school. I know with time these things with change, and I'll want to have them to look back on.
My last and biggest tip is to just shoot more often, in the moment, and don't worry about perfection. Don’t try to control the situation or your subjects - more often than not, it leads to frustrations and tears (either your kids, or yourself!). It’s refreshing to be able to shoot with intention and then put away your camera and be more present with your family. It’s always a great feeling when I can marvel at the stories I’ve captured, and let go of expectations to always have a beautiful highlight reel of life, or perfectly curated instagram feed.
Letting go - toys ready for a new home
At the very end of December 2019, I saw someone’s 365 daily photo project in video form and my mind was absolutely blown away. Without knowing what the year 2020 would bring, I made a promise to myself that I would shoot daily and put together my own year in review video at the end of my project. I was already shooting weekly for this project, and decided that shooting daily was a new challenge I was ready for. As the pandemic unfolded, I found myself documenting the changes in our world within my day by day frames. As you may recall from the start of this lesson, but not only am I a mother, but I work full time as an RN in a neonatal ICU. Our safe little bubble of the NICU world was definitely turned upside down! We were terrified of what would happen if our tiny premature babies with no immune systems were exposed to COVID, and as the pandemic continued to spread and intensify, I turned to my photography even more as my own personal therapy to help get through the stress. I had no idea how powerful the story that unfolded in my daily frames would be.
Exhausted emotionally and physically - long hospital shifts in the beginning of the pandemic
At the end of the year, I put all of my photos together into my own video, and the impact it had on me was absolutely mind blowing (check out my 365 video below!). The way the story of 2020 unraveled in my daily photos gave me goosebumps, and my cup of creativity was filled to the brim. My love of storytelling photography was solidified even more, and I made the easy choice to continue my daily photo project this year as well. I really believe that shooting daily helped transform my images and storytelling voice, and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to grow in their photography journey or become a better storyteller. Here’s a little secret too, you don’t have to wait until January 1st to start one!
My biggest hope is that you put down that phone, spend more quality time with your family, and capture your memories in the most authentic way that you’ll love to look back on later. Find the perfectly imperfect moments, and say yes to more messes or adventures - they make the best memories! Don’t forget to enjoy the moment, Emily
2020 - my first 365 project summarized.