wowbmw Loc: Grant, Colorado

I love telling stories but find myself creatively challenged when it comes to presenting and sharing a sequential series. Any cool ideas would be appreciated. Are there too many? Or...

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

OK i had to look a few times to get the gist of what your trying to say.
Critique on pictures as follow- Number 1
Kids faces are great full of anticipation.You have lost the feet and there is an out of focus something in foreground.
Background is a tad messy and the out of focus on looker does not help. The teachers butt holds the eye more than the kids. Its on the right which is where most viewers eyes end up when looking at a picture.
Number 2 Better cos kid now have feet but we also get a big butt dominating the frame.
Number 3 Enchanting just tidy the background.
Number 4 Missing? A shot showing excitement on winners face as she walk or skips to the bouncy thing.
Number 5 Unfortunate background for you but try and make more of that Gym Trix to go with her jumps.
Every picture tells a story and good stories and good pictures are often planned. Not sure of circumstances but this looks like a bunch of quick snaps rather than a planned exercise. Could say like smart phone snaps.
Great idea just not convinced about the execution as you have presented it here.

Frank2013 Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.

Welcome to the section wowbmw, good to have you here. There's really nothing I can add to the good advise you have already received.

wowbmw Loc: Grant, Colorado

Thanks for the feedback. Really wasn't asking for a critique of the images. They are what they are. The story is in the actual happening. No way to stage or plan this. In fact, I was fortunate to get the images at all. The teachers back end in the image lets the viewer know that the girls are responding to a question. The second one shows the girl she chose recognizing that she was picked. The third one shows the disappointment on the faces of the other girls. I do have another shot of the girl picked going to the place to execute the exercise but I actually think a fourth image is not even necessary.

What I am interested in is a way to present the sequence such as a montage or something that engages the viewer. I don't think the distractions you mentioned have much to do with the impact of the story.

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

I here what you say and understand you wish to engage the viewer. Can that be done with a bunch of duff snaps I personally have serious doubts but that may not be the opinion of others.
Well crafted shots are what is needed and then plan your montage. A duff shot is a duff shot what ever you do with it. Ya cant make a purse out of a pigs ear fella.
The idea has legs for sure and second time around Im sure the raw material you start the montage with will be better.

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Have you thought of a collage. Google's Picasa is free and works well for something like this, or did you have another idea? S-

wowbmw Loc: Grant, Colorado

Did think of a montage. Just trying to pick some creative brains to help with other considerations. Thanks for weighing in

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Always, S-

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

First off, welcome to FYC - look around, offer your opinions and join in the conversation, it is fun here.

Even with the intrusions described by others, the first, third and last do tell a story that, with your narrative, can be enjoyed by anyone because of how expressive the little girls' faces are in the group shots. The second is almost redundant to the first, and one showing the "chosen" in between 3 & 4 might have helped.

Picture stories are a very interesting category that I am glad you brought to us, and I thank you for it. I hope we can have more discussions about this way of presenting our work. Though yours is a personal story, one of the best sites I've ever seen to learn about high quality picture stories is Maptia. https://maptia.com/home. It's free (in spite of a splash screen that is sometimes there to offer something at a fee), and you have the opportunity to read and submit stories and receive a weekly newsletter link. Their contributors range from lowly folk like most of us to Steve McCurry and David duChemin. I would recommend it to any photographer.

wowbmw Loc: Grant, Colorado

Thank you for the welcome! Yes it is personal and no thoughts beyond sharing with family. I agree about including the first and third shot. Seems complete. The expressions make the story. I get bored with same old some times and welcome ideas. Will definitely check out the resource you mentioned. I'm hoping this category will support ideas beyond the critique section. All topics have their place and I'm glad that this forum has room for new ideas.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

That's what makes it fun for me, is the flexibility to look at our own and others' work in different ways. I like the open discussion. Critiquing a photo story is quite different from critiquing a single image. With a story, each image must support the others and have a meaningful sequence by story and by form. I have a lot to learn about this type of presentation but I find it very interesting.