Every photographer wants an audience to connect with their images, and great storytelling can add emotional depth to those images. But understanding how to weave a narrative into your photography can be a challenge. How can one photo tell a whole story, with a beginning, middle, and end?
JP Stones has spent the last 5 years photographing the same group of Mexica, or Aztec, dancers. In that time he learned how connected the Mexica are to their mythology—to stories passed down across generations. That’s when he decided that, as these stories were so vital to Mexica culture, they needed to play a bigger role in his portraits.
This Sunday’s presentation is about what happened next, how a desire to tell stories visually, ended up changing his entire creative process, and the way people react to his photos. Using examples from his cultural photography work in Mexico, Stones explores different ways to improve that emotional connection. This includes how myths and character archetypes can be harnessed for better storytelling.
JP Stones image on Mexica culture
Working with narratives won’t just change the way people engage with your photos, it will fundamentally change the way you create them. Because that narrative can also be used to guide decisions on posing, composition, lighting, and color. Focusing your creative decisions and ensuring you create cohesive work.
Stones has presented for professional organizations and camera clubs across the US, Mexico, and the UK. His work has been featured on the cover of multiple publications, including Good Light Magazine. He’s been teaching his Photo Workshops for close to 10 years.
Topics to be discussed at the Zoom meeting include the following:
- How much of a story can one photo really tell?
- How being more intentional can change your approach to photography.
- How photography can be about making an emotional connection as well as creating beautiful work.
- How thinking in stories can help guide your entire creative decision-making process.
To view a sample of Stones’ work, visit https://jpstonesphotography.com/
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