Tell a Story

Think about this: How many how-to photo blogs and magazines are out there? It seems like a never-ending supply. You can spend days wrapped up in inspiring photos from the most talented photographers on the planet. Flickr can become a time suck for those of us who appreciate great technique.

But does technique matter? Or is it just like any other popular hobby/profession, jammed with publications speaking only to other enthusiasts? Yeah, that’s probably it.

Check out the nominees (in the photo-related categories) from this year’s National Magazine Awards:

• National Geographic
• The New York Times
• Virginia Quarterly Review
• Time
• Style Magazine
• GQ
• Vogue
• Foreign Policy
• New York
• Out
• W

Now, check out the Webby Award photography nominees:

• National Geographic Society
• The Economist
• The New York Times
• Snapshots Of Provence
• Hiroshi Seo

Notice any photo how-to blogs or magazines? Remember, the photography is top-notch in the how-to publications. Yet, it doesn’t rank as memorable by the public, or even ourselves, when compared to the above.

Most (if not all) of the above stuck in our minds as the best of the best because the photos told a story. In fact, most were straight-up photojournalism.

When’s the last time you took a series of photos that told a story? What would a National Geographic photo essay of your life or town look like? I bet it would be a lot more interesting than your latest set of technically perfect pics.