Planning for the Final Photo Essay

Your final assignment is the Climate Change Photo Essay: your opportunity to bring together in images and words a climate change story.

To prepare for this draft out the following in this order:

1. Decide - First, you need to identify a story you want to tell with your images. Discuss ideas with family and friends. Maybe conduct an interview. Maybe the story emerged in the interview you conducted in our first assignment. Regardless, you should put a person at the center of the story. The Protagonist (hero) should be a human subject. But, don't overthink the story. Keep it simple, but shoot it well. 

2. Plan - Imagine the images you want to tell the story. In photography, we call this "pre-visualization."  See it in your mind first.  They won't turn out the way you see them, but the process is really important to opening up your creativity. Then plan around light and setting.

3. Sketch - Start "Sketching" with your camera. Play with some of the ideas, shoot them. Then reflect on them. Don't worry about whether they are good, but consider if they can be stronger. Don't post them in your social media to see what other people think.  Just let your artwork sit with you. They may or may not make the final version of the story. 

4.  Shoot - I suggest you shoot a large number of images (5+) around each element of the story arc. Each part of the story needs to be explored from many different angles - I mean this physically!  Change subject material, change light, change position and perspective.  

Draft the items above and discuss your idea with Alec.

Contact him at alec@acjohnsonphoto.com