THOUGHTS ON ADVENTURE STORYTELLING WITH PHOTOGRAPHER COREY RICH

Storytelling Tips from Corey Rich

I've already mentioned what a fan I am of Corey Rich and his work, so this will be just a brief insight into visual storytelling that I've gleaned from some of his videos. In order for a commercial image to paint an accurate picture of outdoor lifestyle it has to be anchored in authenticity. Corey has talked on several occasions about working with athletes, not models. Photograph people actually performing the given activity. If it's a running shoot, work with runners. A real runner will have the right gait, the expected body type, and the correct posture. More than that, have your athlete really run through the scene, the intensity will show through in your image.

If you want more, Corey has lots of great content on Adorama's YouTube Channel.

http://www.adorama.com All creativity begins with structured checklists. In this Tech Tip, photographer and director, Corey Rich heads to the Sierra Nevada mountains to explore the creative process of shooting two trail runners in a gorgeous setting. The goal isn't just to come away with one great image, but to build a body of work that best tells the trail running story.

THOUGHTS ON STORYTELLING FROM THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHERS

PROOF

This weeks storytelling insight comes from the photographers at National Geographic. If anyone can tell a story with images it would be these people. If you're a photographer, the entire video is great. In regards to storytelling though, I especially liked one nugget of information. "Don't push the reader away. Pull them in and raise more questions."

This plays into some of the past thoughts I've shared on storytelling, namely that you should involve your audience in the story and allow them to make it their own.

Who are National Geographic photographers? To honor 125 years of photography, we turn the (video) camera on our colleagues and get to know the people behind some of the most celebrated photographs in the world. Visit http://proof.nationalgeographic.com for more interviews from this series, in which National Geographic photographers explore the power of photography and explain why this life of image-making suits them so well.

THOUGHTS ON STORYTELLING FROM BRIAN STURM PHD

Brain Sturm, PhD

Brian Sturm lectured on Storytelling Theory and Practice in a lecture series for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he is a professor. The entire lecture is worth a watch, but I just wanted to highlight one brief comment from this almost forty-five minute lecture. The comment is this: if you think of random dots, story is what connects those dots. Though his comment almost certainly relates to understanding what a story is, it can also be applied in storytelling technique.

To make this point, the included film (below) from Camp4Collective opens with a seemingly unrelated narration that in the end ties the underlying story together. It’s a brilliant piece of work and you should take fifteen minutes and watch it.

A few sample questions to ask when crafting your story: What dots are you trying to connect? What seemingly unrelated dots could you introduce to help pull the story together? What dots could you introduce to add interest and an outside perspective?

Happy storytelling!

Chasing curiosity can lead us down a dangerous, challenging, and frightening path. It can also lead us to have the greatest experiences of our lives. "Curiosity" follows the stories of team athletes Rory Bosio, Timothy Olson, and Hal Koerner in their constant pursuit of exploration.

Curiosity from Camp 4 Collective for The North Face

THOUGHTS ON STORYTELLING WITH GARY VAYNERCHUCK

This weeks insight into storytelling comes from marketing mastermind Gary Vaynerchuck. If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing him speak you really should watch the linked video below (WARNING: NSFW Language). Great stuff!

The thoughts below provide insight from Gary regarding social media platforms really  being storytelling platforms. This was a great thought when I found it and I've tried using it more in my online interactions.

GARY VAYNERCHUCK ON STORYTELLING

Gary Vaynerchuck

Be a story teller. Marketers are storytellers because that's what people and humanity like. With social media, be a great breaking news storyteller, not a movie storyteller. Things should be light and quick in consumable dosages. Quality storytelling always wins...ALWAYS! With social media, everyone thinks about content when really it's all about context. Every social media platform is different in the way that stories are shared. Start respecting the platform by respecting the context. Don't just pitch what you're selling. Bring value to people within the space and give it to them in a way that a human being would give it to them, not a brand.

Now that you have the gist, you should watch the whole speech. What did you think?

About this presentation In world with Vine, Snapchat, and Twitter, how can creatives capture attention to make their voices heard? In this 99U talk, best-selling author and founder of VaynerMedia Gary Vaynerchuk breaks down how our work can cut through our current “A.D.D. Culture” — One where we binge-watch entire television seasons in one sitting and prefer texting to phone calls. “We’ve gotten to a point where everything is on our time,” says Vaynerchuk, “So why is everyone storytelling like it's 2007 in a 2014 world?” The best digital storytellers, he says, use the social media to “hook” audiences in for the deeper stuff. We should give, give again, and give some more before ever asking for anything from our community. “We have to start respecting the nuances of every platform.” Please note: This talk contains adult language. About Gary Vaynerchuk Already considered a quintessential maven of modern-day marketing, Gary Vaynerchuk is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author as well as a self-trained wine and social media expert. Gary has appeared on countless programs from Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Ellen to MSNBC, CNBC, CNN and NPR. He was also notably featured in Decanter Magazine’s 2009 Power List which lists the 50 most influential people in wine. In 2009, Gary was named Innovator of the Year at Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Star Awards as well as one of Askmen.com’s 49 Most Influential Men of 2009. Gary’s ultimate goal is to own the New York Jets. Although his various businesses obviously play an enormous role in his life, he always puts his family first.