Finn Beales - The Photography Storytelling Workshop: A five-step guide to creating unforgettable photographs

FINN BEALES

Foreword by Alex Strohl

by Alex Strohl

I started out as a graphic design major and ended up getting into photography at university. One of my classes, Introduction to Photography, was taught by a veteran of documentary photography who encouraged us to use film cameras and taught us a host of old-school techniques including how to go from negative to print and how to dodge and burn as Ansel Adams famously did. This new world was thrilling, and I was just following my curiosity with no clear plan in sight until somehow, I ended up shooting advertising campaigns for some of the worlds largest brands and carving a niche in the competitive adventure photography world. Never did I imagine Id be running a thriving photography studio with a full-time team all from the woods of Montana.

Among the talented people Ive met on this journey, Finn is the one who has inspired me to use stories within my work. This, in turn, led me to create a workshop focusing on his approach to visual storytelling. After Id finished filming it, I remember being so excited to get home and view it in a whole new way following his process and looking for stories in the everyday. His method for building a narrative using the three impactful prompts: 1. Character, 2. Location, 3. Event (covered in this book) has encouraged me to rethink my own approach to my photographic projects.

Finn and I are part of a new generation of creatives who have built careers out of living in remote places. With the advent of the internet and more specifically, social media, gone are the days were photographers had to be based in Paris, New York, or any large city to make it. The age where if you wanted to become a photographer you had to take an internship at your local newspapers are gone. All you need is a camera, a phone and internet access. And some damn good stories to tell. This is exciting because it puts the control back in the hands of the creatives, it has levelled the field as we all have the same tools and only the stories and ideas make the difference. You can see this in Finns photography throughout the book, in the way that he uses his home surroundings in Wales as a backdrop to his shoots.

Finn and I have both walked the same squiggly line, sometimes falling off but always getting back on and carrying on. He has been bold and chosen his own path and as a result, hes become a world-class photographer who deserves every one of his achievements. This book shares the practices that have helped him get there, together with the knowledge that hes picked up working with just about every brand youd dream of shooting. There are only a handful of people who could write this book and Finn sits at the top of this list.

Todays world is awash with images, but what makes people stop scrolling or walking by? What makes them remember an image or a photographers work? In my mind, its the stories they tell. Stories are the real influencers. From fairy tales and legends, to religious texts and political campaigns, its the stories that capture us and the emotions they elicit that make the messages last. The aim of this book is to help you create lasting photographs, the sort Dorothea Lange called second lookers. using a tried-and-tested approach that puts the story at the heart of everything you do.

How to Use this Book

Well start with the basics, including what equipment you need and the essence of a great photograph. Then well examine the craft of storytelling and how this can be applied to photography. From there, the book follows the process of making a photo story. I cover pitching for work and doing your prep, the actual shoot, the edit and the final collation of your images. In each section you will find step-by-step exercises illustrating fundamental techniques and projects to challenge your creativity and broaden your skill set. Youll also find tips, creative briefs and plenty of real-world examples.

The Workshop

This book was inspired by a photo story I created for a company called Cool & Vintage, based in Portugal. Cool & Vintage specialise in the restoration of vintage Land Rovers, but dont think of this as an automotive shoot. I want to show you how to incorporate a product (like a car) into a broader story that makes for a more entertaining set of images.

With the rise of influencer-based marketing, this is especially useful when developing branded content for platforms like Instagram. Straightforward product placement is a lazy way to market anything, in my opinion. It is much better to build a story around a product and entertain your audience along the way.

So, following my process in this workshop we will pitch, prepare, shoot, edit and deliver.

By the end of this book you will be able to pitch for jobs, win contracts and craft a shoot from start to finish. Well look at shoot preparation, including working with mood boards and call sheets, directing models, and post production and editing. Well even touch on the tricky topic of pricing your work.

THE POWER OF IMAGES

The thing I love most about photography, over other mediums, is that something is always left to the viewers imagination. I liken it to the difference between a movie and a book: I love both, but Im sometimes disappointed if I watch a movie after Ive read the same story. Thats because a book allows me to bring my own imagination to the table. The story feels richer because my mind is working on a deeper level. I feel the same way about photographs.

What are my kids reading here? Where are they?

These questions are posed to a stranger viewing the image, piquing their interest.

Photographs leave gaps in the narrative that viewers can fill with their own imagination. Theres always something left unanswered; theres no verbal communication, sound or music adding atmosphere. These feelings must be present in the images alone and the photograph should tell you just enough to activate your desire to know more. This might come from lighting or maybe a close-up of a characters face or hands. An image should provoke an intuitive, visceral feeling there might not be a rational explanation for it, but you know when you feel it.

TIP

Pose questions to your audience and compose your image in a way that leaves something to the viewers own imagination. Dont give too much away.

SPARKING THE IMAGINATION

Photographs that leave gaps in the narrative allow a viewer to fill it with their own imagination, but how do you go about making pictures along these lines?

POSE A QUESTION TO YOUR AUDIENCE

There is a pleasure in not knowing. It activates the mind. Frame your images in a way that poses a question to your audience and engages them in your work.