Narrative Photography ~Research~

 What it is ?

Narrative photography, sometimes called documentary photography, involves carefully selecting few images to create a story. All great photographers often spend a lot of time searching for one perfect shot, but with narrative photography is all about being creative, unique and imaginative as you can be questioning your own individual perspectives to produce sequence of images that everyone can interpreted in their own way.

For someone new at developing a narrative visual story, the most important thing to ask is what is the story you really want to tell, and how you think other people with different life's perspectives and culture then you, will feel about your imaginative and unique idea.

Narrative stories will also likely have within them the following moments:

·         exposition

·         conflict

·         climax

·         resolution

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The topic of narrative photography sequence can be also interpreted as surrealistic art that can express feeling and some message to others in a whole different way using only images, without body language or verbal communication.

Close up

For my research studies I have chosen close up method mentioned in narrative photo sequence project, because all work that is really visible to others attract more attention and bring up objects symmetry, face emotions, light and whole fantastic detail of peoples work that we normally easily miss out. "Also called closechot. Movies, Television. a camera shot taken at avery short distance from the subject, to permit a close and detailed view of an object or action."[1]

Why is there close up method used in some narrative sequence photos?

 

As everyone probably knows images, object, people or everything else that are closer to our eyes are clearly more visible and do not lack in focus, then if they were far, far and far away from our eyes.

A close up method used in narrative photography is no different than being close to someone and watching that person every move and emotions. Close up method is there to bring out the smallest level of detail in objects, pictures, people and everything else that we can see but cannot touch.                           Emotions that we feel by watching someone's work  from far away  can be whole different then watching the same work from up close a second time. Also close up method do not excludes people with bad eyesight problems, so everyone can admire someone's work produced using close up format.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	Close, Light and shadow contrast visible.
			From far way, Only dark contrast visible.

 

 

A close-up of a person face on narrative photo reflects their emotional state. Whereas a                        mid-shot or wide-shot is more appropriate for delivering facts and general information, a close-up exaggerates facial expressions which convey emotion. The viewer is drawn into the subject's personal space and shares their feelings almost like their where there.

"Here are various degrees of close-up depending on how tight (zoomed in) the shot is. The terminology varies between countries and even different companies, but in general these are:

·         Medium Close Up ("MCU" on camera scripts): Half-way between a mid shot and a close-up. Usually covers the subject's head and shoulders.

·         Close Up ("CU"): A certain feature, such as someone's head, takes up the whole frame.

·         Extreme Close Up ("ECU" or "XCU"): The shot is so tight that only a detail of the subject, such as someone's eyes, can be seen.

·         Lean-In: when the juxtaposition of shots in a sequence, usually in a scene of dialogue, starts with medium or long shots, for example, and ends with close-ups.

·         Lean-Out: the opposite as a lean-in, moving from close-ups out to longer shots.

·         Lean: when a lean-in is followed by a lean-out."[2]

 

All narrative sequence photos that are used in close up are sometimes more powerful and interesting to a viewer to watch depending on their culture, beliefs, perspectives, time, environment placed in etc, even if the photographer didn't plan to have this kind of strong and powerful impact on some people." mid-shot can show more of the subject and less of the setting and the environment around them."[3]

 

[1]- www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/closeup

[2]- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close-up

[3]- http://www.tvdsb.ca/webpages/takahashid/video.cfm?subpage=128730