In the visual journaling workshop, Once Upon a Time: Your Photographs have Stories to Tell, there is an exercise on storytelling, which participants really enjoy. The results are often surprising and reveal hidden writing talents. We take a look at three different types of stories – ambiguous, personal, and documentary (inspired by this article, Telling Stories with Photos, from Digital Photography School). The three types are summarized below.

Ambiguous – the story is unclear; it makes you think or be curious. You can use your imagination to come up with the story.

Personal – the photograph reflects a story that happened to you.

Documentary – the photograph tells a story of a person, place, or thing or portrays a message of social commentary.

We ask participants to try at least one of these with a photograph but often they do all three. It’s amazing how the three together tell a story of their own. The results reveal quite a bit about the photograph as well as the photographer. Here’s an example using my image above from Queen Street, the shopping and dining area of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The Tulips are Blooming

 
Ambiguous

I crouch underneath the red flowers. Good thing that there are lots of flowers blooming and that I am small. They haven’t seen me yet. Just a few minutes ago, they went into the door marked Godel. So far today, I’ve followed them to breakfast at Balzac’s, then a stroll in the park, and a freshen up at the hotel. Now, they’re doing some shopping. I wonder where they’ll go next. A winery, perhaps? Maybe a boat ride or picnic at the lake? I still haven’t decided when I’ll make my appearance. It has to be timed perfectly. Boy, won’t they be surprised?

Personal 

Ahhh, spring in Niagara-on-the-Lake. My favourite time of the year. Living in Canada as I do, the winters are very long and my spirits get a little low. There’s something about the energy of spring, the feeling of renewal, and the flowers, oh the flowers, that lift them up. The tulips lead the way.

Documentary 

Life in a small, tourist town in Canada. The population of Niagara-on-the-Lake is around 15,000. During the winter, it’s very quiet here as half the population disappears to southern climes. The summer is a different story as tourists clog the sidewalks of Queen Street, there for the lake views, the Shaw Festival Theatre, as well as many wineries and craft breweries. The state of the loonie, our Canadian dollar, over the past couple of years has meant record crowds from all over the world.

The Queen Street shopping area is only a few blocks long, but is a sight to see, lined with flowers all season long, beginning with these tulips. A clock tower anchors one end and a grocery store the other. The old Courthouse now holds a small theatre and offers tourist information. Quaint shops with a British flair, as well as several restaurants and a craft brewery, line the street. Once the tulips are in bloom, we’re sure to see an uptick in people on the streets. On any given day in the summer, you will hear many languages spoken in “old town.” All are welcome.

Why not try this with one of your own photographs?

 
* And, here’s another take in a little more depth from Sebastian Jacobitz