Finding Your Visual Story: A Beginning

Humans are storytellers. Since before recorded history, we have used stories to keep our cultures alive, convey the histories of our lives, and inspire action. Photography — writing with light — allows us to tell visual stories that transcend language. In this online workshop led by documentary photographer Esha Chiocchio, a Santa Fe resident, we put the adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words” to the test to create cohesive narratives that use the photographic arts to convey unique stories.

Over a five-week period, we look at exemplary photo essays, discuss the nuances of shaping a narrative, engage in weekly critiques of student work, and explore the art of editing and sequencing. Students are given weekly assignments and will share their progress as we build toward our final photo essays.

We begin with the question — “what do I want to say?” From there, we look at the story arc and what types of images we need to create to best convey this message. As we progress, we will deepen our individual styles to create a cohesive body of work that both tells a story and carries the photographer’s artistic signature.

This workshop provides a strong foundation in visual storytelling and is designed to flexibly meet people at their level to encourage skill-building and exploration in a supportive environment. This five-week workshop is intended to help participants develop a new project and create a well-rounded essay with Esha’s guidance. However, if you already have a project underway, we can work to refine it through editing and additional image-making.

Come join Esha online and follow your dream of telling stories with your camera and your heart.