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How to Create an Engaging Photo Essay (with Examples)

Photo essays tell a story in pictures. They're a great way to improve at photography and story-telling skills at once. Learn how to do create a great one.

Learn | Photography Guides | By Ana Mireles

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Photography is a medium used to tell stories – sometimes they are told in one picture, sometimes you need a whole series. Those series can be photo essays.

If you’ve never done a photo essay before, or you’re simply struggling to find your next project, this article will be of help. I’ll be showing you what a photo essay is and how to go about doing one.

You’ll also find plenty of photo essay ideas and some famous photo essay examples from recent times that will serve you as inspiration.

If you’re ready to get started, let’s jump right in!

Table of Contents

What is a Photo Essay?

A photo essay is a series of images that share an overarching theme as well as a visual and technical coherence to tell a story. Some people refer to a photo essay as a photo series or a photo story – this often happens in photography competitions.

Photographic history is full of famous photo essays. Think about The Great Depression by Dorothea Lange, Like Brother Like Sister by Wolfgang Tillmans, Gandhi’s funeral by Henri Cartier Bresson, amongst others.

What are the types of photo essay?

Despite popular belief, the type of photo essay doesn’t depend on the type of photography that you do – in other words, journalism, documentary, fine art, or any other photographic genre is not a type of photo essay.

Instead, there are two main types of photo essays: narrative and thematic .

As you have probably already guessed, the thematic one presents images pulled together by a topic – for example, global warming. The images can be about animals and nature as well as natural disasters devastating cities. They can happen all over the world or in the same location, and they can be captured in different moments in time – there’s a lot of flexibility.

A narrative photo essa y, on the other hand, tells the story of a character (human or not), portraying a place or an event. For example, a narrative photo essay on coffee would document the process from the planting and harvesting – to the roasting and grinding until it reaches your morning cup.

What are some of the key elements of a photo essay?

• Tell a unique story – A unique story doesn’t mean that you have to photograph something that nobody has done before – that would be almost impossible! It means that you should consider what you’re bringing to the table on a particular topic.
• Put yourself into the work – One of the best ways to make a compelling photo essay is by adding your point of view, which can only be done with your life experiences and the way you see the world.
• Add depth to the concept – The best photo essays are the ones that go past the obvious and dig deeper in the story, going behind the scenes, or examining a day in the life of the subject matter – that’s what pulls in the spectator.
• Nail the technique – Even if the concept and the story are the most important part of a photo essay, it won’t have the same success if it’s poorly executed.
• Build a structure – A photo essay is about telling a thought-provoking story – so, think about it in a narrative way. Which images are going to introduce the topic? Which ones represent a climax? How is it going to end – how do you want the viewer to feel after seeing your photo series?
• Make strong choices – If you really want to convey an emotion and a unique point of view, you’re going to need to make some hard decisions. Which light are you using? Which lens? How many images will there be in the series? etc., and most importantly for a great photo essay is the why behind those choices.

9 Tips for Creating a Photo Essay

Credit: Laura James

1. Choose something you know

To make a good photo essay, you don’t need to travel to an exotic location or document a civil war – I mean, it’s great if you can, but you can start close to home.

Depending on the type of photography you do and the topic you’re looking for in your photographic essay, you can photograph a local event or visit an abandoned building outside your town.

It will be much easier for you to find a unique perspective and tell a better story if you’re already familiar with the subject. Also, consider that you might have to return a few times to the same location to get all the photos you need.

2. Follow your passion

Most photo essays take dedication and passion. If you choose a subject that might be easy, but you’re not really into it – the results won’t be as exciting. Taking photos will always be easier and more fun if you’re covering something you’re passionate about.

3. Take your time

A great photo essay is not done in a few hours. You need to put in the time to research it, conceptualizing it, editing, etc. That’s why I previously recommended following your passion because it takes a lot of dedication, and if you’re not passionate about it – it’s difficult to push through.

4. Write a summary or statement

Photo essays are always accompanied by some text. You can do this in the form of an introduction, write captions for each photo or write it as a conclusion. That’s up to you and how you want to present the work.

5. Learn from the masters

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Making a photographic essay takes a lot of practice and knowledge. A great way to become a better photographer and improve your storytelling skills is by studying the work of others. You can go to art shows, review books and magazines and look at the winners in photo contests – most of the time, there’s a category for photo series.

6. Get a wide variety of photos

Think about a story – a literary one. It usually tells you where the story is happening, who is the main character, and it gives you a few details to make you engage with it, right?

The same thing happens with a visual story in a photo essay – you can do some wide-angle shots to establish the scenes and some close-ups to show the details. Make a shot list to ensure you cover all the different angles.

Some of your pictures should guide the viewer in, while others are more climatic and regard the experience they are taking out of your photos.

7. Follow a consistent look

Both in style and aesthetics, all the images in your series need to be coherent. You can achieve this in different ways, from the choice of lighting, the mood, the post-processing, etc.

8. Be self-critical

Once you have all the photos, make sure you edit them with a good dose of self-criticism. Not all the pictures that you took belong in the photo essay. Choose only the best ones and make sure they tell the full story.

9. Ask for constructive feedback

Often, when we’re working on a photo essay project for a long time, everything makes perfect sense in our heads. However, someone outside the project might not be getting the idea. It’s important that you get honest and constructive criticism to improve your photography.

How to Create a Photo Essay in 5 Steps

Credit: Quang Nguyen Vinh

1. Choose your topic

This is the first step that you need to take to decide if your photo essay is going to be narrative or thematic. Then, choose what is it going to be about?

Ideally, it should be something that you’re interested in, that you have something to say about it, and it can connect with other people.

2. Research your topic

To tell a good story about something, you need to be familiar with that something. This is especially true when you want to go deeper and make a compelling photo essay. Day in the life photo essays are a popular choice, since often, these can be performed with friends and family, whom you already should know well.

3. Plan your photoshoot

Depending on what you’re photographing, this step can be very different from one project to the next. For a fine art project, you might need to find a location, props, models, a shot list, etc., while a documentary photo essay is about planning the best time to do the photos, what gear to bring with you, finding a local guide, etc.

Every photo essay will need different planning, so before taking pictures, put in the required time to get things right.

4. Experiment

It’s one thing to plan your photo shoot and having a shot list that you have to get, or else the photo essay won’t be complete. It’s another thing to miss out on some amazing photo opportunities that you couldn’t foresee.

So, be prepared but also stay open-minded and experiment with different settings, different perspectives, etc.

5. Make a final selection

Editing your work can be one of the hardest parts of doing a photo essay. Sometimes we can be overly critical, and others, we get attached to bad photos because we put a lot of effort into them or we had a great time doing them.

Try to be as objective as possible, don’t be afraid to ask for opinions and make various revisions before settling down on a final cut.

7 Photo Essay Topics, Ideas & Examples

Credit: Michelle Leman

• Architectural photo essay

Using architecture as your main subject, there are tons of photo essay ideas that you can do. For some inspiration, you can check out the work of Francisco Marin – who was trained as an architect and then turned to photography to “explore a different way to perceive things”.

You can also lookup Luisa Lambri. Amongst her series, you’ll find many photo essay examples in which architecture is the subject she uses to explore the relationship between photography and space.

• Process and transformation photo essay

This is one of the best photo essay topics for beginners because the story tells itself. Pick something that has a beginning and an end, for example, pregnancy, the metamorphosis of a butterfly, the life-cycle of a plant, etc.

Keep in mind that these topics are linear and give you an easy way into the narrative flow – however, it might be difficult to find an interesting perspective and a unique point of view.

• A day in the life of ‘X’ photo essay

There are tons of interesting photo essay ideas in this category – you can follow around a celebrity, a worker, your child, etc. You don’t even have to do it about a human subject – think about doing a photo essay about a day in the life of a racing horse, for example – find something that’s interesting for you.

• Time passing by photo essay

It can be a natural site or a landmark photo essay – whatever is close to you will work best as you’ll need to come back multiple times to capture time passing by. For example, how this place changes throughout the seasons or maybe even over the years.

A fun option if you live with family is to document a birthday party each year, seeing how the subject changes over time. This can be combined with a transformation essay or sorts, documenting the changes in interpersonal relationships over time.

• Travel photo essay

Do you want to make the jump from tourist snapshots into a travel photo essay? Research the place you’re going to be travelling to. Then, choose a topic.

If you’re having trouble with how to do this, check out any travel magazine – National Geographic, for example. They won’t do a generic article about Texas – they do an article about the beach life on the Texas Gulf Coast and another one about the diverse flavors of Texas.

The more specific you get, the deeper you can go with the story.

• Socio-political issues photo essay

This is one of the most popular photo essay examples – it falls under the category of photojournalism or documental photography. They are usually thematic, although it’s also possible to do a narrative one.

Depending on your topic of interest, you can choose topics that involve nature – for example, document the effects of global warming. Another idea is to photograph protests or make an education photo essay.

It doesn’t have to be a big global issue; you can choose something specific to your community – are there too many stray dogs? Make a photo essay about a local animal shelter. The topics are endless.

• Behind the scenes photo essay

A behind-the-scenes always make for a good photo story – people are curious to know what happens and how everything comes together before a show.

Depending on your own interests, this can be a photo essay about a fashion show, a theatre play, a concert, and so on. You’ll probably need to get some permissions, though, not only to shoot but also to showcase or publish those images.

4 Best Photo Essays in Recent times

Now that you know all the techniques about it, it might be helpful to look at some photo essay examples to see how you can put the concept into practice. Here are some famous photo essays from recent times to give you some inspiration.

Habibi by Antonio Faccilongo

This photo essay wan the World Press Photo Story of the Year in 2021. Faccilongo explores a very big conflict from a very specific and intimate point of view – how the Israeli-Palestinian war affects the families.

He chose to use a square format because it allows him to give order to things and eliminate unnecessary elements in his pictures.

With this long-term photo essay, he wanted to highlight the sense of absence and melancholy women and families feel towards their husbands away at war.

The project then became a book edited by Sarah Leen and the graphics of Ramon Pez.

Picture This: New Orleans by Mary Ellen Mark

The last assignment before her passing, Mary Ellen Mark travelled to New Orleans to register the city after a decade after Hurricane Katrina.

The images of the project “bring to life the rebirth and resilience of the people at the heart of this tale”, – says CNNMoney, commissioner of the work.

Each survivor of the hurricane has a story, and Mary Ellen Mark was there to record it. Some of them have heartbreaking stories about everything they had to leave behind.

Others have a story of hope – like Sam and Ben, two eight-year-olds born from frozen embryos kept in a hospital that lost power supply during the hurricane, yet they managed to survive.

Selfie by Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman is an American photographer whose work is mainly done through self-portraits. With them, she explores the concept of identity, gender stereotypes, as well as visual and cultural codes.

One of her latest photo essays was a collaboration with W Magazine entitled Selfie. In it, the author explores the concept of planned candid photos (‘plandid’).

The work was made for Instagram, as the platform is well known for the conflict between the ‘real self’ and the one people present online. Sherman started using Facetune, Perfect365 and YouCam to alter her appearance on selfies – in Photoshop, you can modify everything, but these apps were designed specifically to “make things prettier”- she says, and that’s what she wants to explore in this photo essay.

Tokyo Compression by Michael Wolf

Michael Wolf has an interest in the broad-gauge topic Life in Cities. From there, many photo essays have been derived – amongst them – Tokyo Compression .

He was horrified by the way people in Tokyo are forced to move to the suburbs because of the high prices of the city. Therefore, they are required to make long commutes facing 1,5 hours of train to start their 8+ hour workday followed by another 1,5 hours to get back home.

To portray this way of life, he photographed the people inside the train pressed against the windows looking exhausted, angry or simply absent due to this way of life.

You can visit his website to see other photo essays that revolve around the topic of life in megacities.

Final Words

It’s not easy to make photo essays, so don’t expect to be great at it right from your first project.

Start off small by choosing a specific subject that’s interesting to you –  that will come from an honest place, and it will be a great practice for some bigger projects along the line.

Whether you like to shoot still life or you’re a travel photographer, I hope these photo essay tips and photo essay examples can help you get started and grow in your photography.

Let us know which topics you are working on right now – we’ll love to hear from you!

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Ana Mireles is a Mexican researcher that specializes in photography and communications for the arts and culture sector.

Penelope G. To Ana Mireles Such a well written and helpful article for an writer who wants to inclue photo essay in her memoir. Thank you. I will get to work on this new skill. Penelope G.

Herman Krieger Photo essays in black and white

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How to Create a Photo Essay in 9 Steps (with Examples)

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What is a photo essay?

• Photo essays vs photo stories
• How photo essays help you
• 9 Steps to create photo essays

How to share your photo essays

Read Time: 11 minutes

Gather up a handful of images that seem to go together, and voila! It’s a photo essay, right? Well… no. Though, this is a common misconception.

In reality, a photo essay is much more thoughtful and structured than that. When you take the time to craft one, you’re using skills from all facets of our craft – from composition to curation.

In this guide, you’ll learn what makes a photo essay an amazing project that stretches your skills. You’ll also learn exactly how to make one step by step.

• Photo essay vs photo story

A photo essay is a collection of images based around a theme, a topic, a creative approach, or an exploration of an idea. Photo essays balance visual variety with a cohesive style and concept.

What’s the difference between a photo essay and a photo story?

The terms photo essay and photo story are often used interchangeably. Even the dictionary definition of “photo essay” includes using images to convey either a theme or a story.

But in my experience, a photo essay and a photo story are two different things. As you delve into the field of visual storytelling, distinguishing between the two helps you to take a purposeful approach to what you’re making .

The differences ultimately lie in the distinctions between theme, topic and story.

Themes are big-picture concepts. Example: Wildness

Topics are more specific than themes, but still overarching. Example : Wild bears of Yellowstone National Park

Stories are specific instances or experiences that happen within, or provide an example for, a topic or theme. Example: A certain wild bear became habituated to tourists and was relocated to maintain its wildness

Unlike a theme or topic, a story has particular elements that make it a story. They include leading characters, a setting, a narrative arc, conflict, and (usually) resolution.

With that in mind, we can distingush between a photo essay and a photo story.

Themes and Topics vs Stories

A photo essay revolves around a topic, theme, idea, or concept. It visually explores a big-picture something .

This allows a good deal of artistic leeway where a photographer can express their vision, philosophies, opinions, or artistic expression as they create their images.

A photo story  is a portfolio of images that illustrate – you guessed it – a story.

Because of this, there are distinct types of images that a photo story uses that add to the understanding, insight, clarity and meaning to the story for viewers. While they can certainly be artistically crafted and visually stunning, photo stories document something happening, and rely on visual variety for capturing the full experience.

A photo essay doesn’t need to have the same level of structured variety that a photo story requires. It can have images that overlap or are similar, as they each explore various aspects of a theme.

Photo essays can be about any topic. If you live in a city, consider using your nature photography to make an essay about the wildlife that lives in your neighborhood . 

The role of text with photos

A photo story typically runs alongside text that narrates the story. We’re a visual species, and the images help us feel like we are there, experiencing what’s happening. So, the images add significant power to the text, but they’re often a partner to it.

This isn’t always the case, of course. Sometimes photo stories don’t need or use text. It’s like reading a graphic novel that doesn’t use text. Moving through the different images that build on each other ultimately unveils the narrative.

Photo essays don’t need to rely on text to illuminate the images’ theme or topic. The photographer may use captions (or even a text essay), or they may let the images speak for themselves.

Definitions are helpful guidelines (not strict rules)

Some people categorize photo essays as either narrative or thematic. That’s essentially just calling photo stories “narrative photo essays” and photo essays “thematic photo essays.”

But, a story is a defined thing, and any writer/editor will tell you themes and topics are not the same as stories. And we use the word “story” in our daily lives as it’s defined. So, it makes far more sense to name the difference between a photo essay and a photo story, and bask in the same clarity writers enjoy .

Photo stories illustrate a particular experience, event, narrative, something that happened or is happening.

Photo essays explore an idea, concept, topic, theme, creative approach, big-picture something .

Both photo essays and photo stories are immensely powerful visual tools. And yes, the differences between them can certainly be blurred, as is always the case with art.

Simply use this distinction as a general guideline, providing extra clarity around what you’re making and why you’re making it.

To dig into specific types of images used to create powerful photo stories, check out this training: 6 Must-Have Shots for a Photo Story. 

Meanwhile, let’s dig deeper into photo essays.

Photo essays are a chance to try new styles or techniques that stretch your skills and creativity. This image was part of an essay exploring simplicity and shape, and helped me learn new skills in black and white post-processing.

How photo essays improve your photography

Creating photo essays is an amazing antidote if you’ve ever felt a lack of direction or purpose in your photography. Photo essays help build your photographic skills in at least 3 important ways.

1. You become more strategic in creating a body of work

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut of photographing whatever pops up in front of you. And when you do, you end up with a collection of stand-alone shots.

These singles may work fine as a print, a quick Instagram post, or an addition to your gallery of shots on your website. But amassing a bunch of one-off shots limits your opportunities as a photographer for everything from exhibits to getting your work published.

Building photo essays pushes you to think strategically about what you photograph, why, and how. You’re working toward a particular deliverable – a cohesive visual essay – with the images you create.

This elevates your skills in crafting your photo essay, and in how you curate the rest of your work, from galleries on your website to selecting images to sell as prints .

2. You become more purposeful in your composition skills

Composition is so much more than just following the rule of thirds, golden spirals, or thinking about the angle of light in a shot.

Composition is also about thinking ahead in what you’re trying to accomplish with a photograph – from what you’re saying through it to its emotional impact on a viewer – and where it fits within a larger body of work.

Photo essays push you to think critically about each shot – from coming up with fresh compositions for familiar subjects, to devising surprising compositions to fit within a collection, to creating compositions that expand on what’s already in a photo essay.

You’re pushed beyond creating a single pleasing frame, which leads you to shoot more thoughtfully and proactively than ever.

(Here’s a podcast episode on switching from reactive shooting to proactive shooting .)

3. You develop strong editing and curation skills

Selecting which images stay, and which get left behind is one of the hardest jobs on a photographer’s to-do list. Mostly, it’s because of emotional attachment.

You might think it’s an amazing shot because you know the effort that went into capturing it. Or perhaps when you look at it, you get a twinge of the joy or exhilaration you felt the moment you captured it. There’s also the second-guessing that goes into which of two similar images is the best – which will people like more? So you’re tempted to just show both.

Ultimately, great photographers appear all the more skilled because they only show their best work. That in and of itself is a skill they’ve developed through years of ruthlessly editing their own work.

Because the most powerful photo essays only show a handful of extraordinary images, you’re bound to develop the very same critical skill (and look all the more talented because of it).

Photo essays are also a great stepping stone to creating photo stories. If you’re interested in moving beyond stand-alone shots and building stories, shooting photo essays will get your creative brain limbered up and ready for the adventure of photo stories.

A photo essay exploring the natural history of a favorite species is an exciting opportunity for an in-depth study. For me, that was a photo essay on emotive images of the American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) as it hunts in streams. 

9 Simple steps to create your photo essays

1. clarify your theme.

Choose a theme, topic, or concept you want to explore. Spend some time getting crystal clear on what you want to focus on. It helps to write out a few sentences, or even a few paragraphs noting:

• What you want the essay to be about
• What kinds of images you want to create as part of it
• How you’ll photograph the images
• The style, techniques, or gear you might use to create your images
• What “success” looks like when you’re done with your photo essay

You don’t have to stick to what you write down, of course. It can change during the image creation process. But fleshing your idea out on paper goes a long way in clarifying your photo essay theme and how you’ll go about creating it.

2. Create your images

Grab your camera and head outside!

As you’re photographing your essay, allow yourself some freedom to experiment. Try unusual compositions or techniques that are new to you.

Stretch your style a little, or “try on” the style of other photographers you admire who have photographed similar subjects.

Photo essays are wonderful opportunities to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and grow as a photographer.

Remember that a photo essay is a visually cohesive collection of images that make sense together. So, while you might stretch yourself into new terrain as you shoot, try to keep that approach, style, or strategy consistent.

Don’t be afraid to create lots of images. It’s great to have lots to choose from in the editing process, which comes up next.

3. Pull together your wide edit

Once you’ve created your images, pull together all the images that might make the cut. This could be as many as 40-60 images. Include anything you want to consider for the final essay in the wide edit.

From here, start weeding out images that:

• are weaker in composition or subject matter
• stand out like a sore thumb from the rest of the collection
• Are similar to other stronger images in the collection

It’s helpful to review the images at thumbnail size. You make more instinctive decisions and can more easily see the body of work as a whole. If an image is strong even at thumbnail size to stand out from similar frames while also partnering well with other images in the collection, that’s a good sign it’s strong enough for the essay.

4. Post-process your images for a cohesive look

Now it’s time to post-process the images. Use whatever editing software you’re comfortable with to polish your images.

Again, a photo essay has a cohesive visual look. If you use presets, filters, or other tools, use them across all the images.

5. Finalize your selection

It’s time to make the tough decisions. Select only the strongest for your photo essay from your group of images.

Each image should be strong enough to stand on its own and make sense as part of the whole group.

Many photo essays range from 8-12 images. But of course, it varies based on the essay. The number of images you have in your final photo essay is up to you.

Remember, less is more. A photo essay is most powerful when each image deserves to be included.

6. Put your images in a purposeful order

Create a visual flow with your images. Decide which image is first, and build from there. Use compositions, colors, and subject matter to decide which image goes next, then next, then next in the order.

Think of it like music: notes are arranged in a way that builds energy, or slows it down, surprise listeners with a new refrain, or drop into a familiar chorus. How the notes are ordered creates emotional arcs for listeners.

How you order your images is similar.

Think of the experience a viewer will have as they look at one image, then the next, and the next. Order your images so they create the experience you want your audience to have.

7. Get feedback

The best photographers make space for feedback, even when it’s tough to hear. Your work benefits from not just hearing feedback, but listening to it and applying what you learn from it.

Show your photo essay to people who have different sensibilities or tastes. Friends, family members, fellow photographers – anyone you trust to give you honest feedback.

Watch their reactions and hear what they say about what they’re seeing. Use their feedback to guide you in the next step.

8. Refine, revise, and finalize

Let your photo essay marinate for a little while. Take a day or two away from it. Then use your freshened eyes and the feedback you received from the previous step to refine your essay.

Swap out any selects you might want to change and reorder the images if needed.

9. Add captions

Even if you don’t plan on displaying captions with your images, captioning your images is a great practice to get into. It gives context, story, and important information to each image. And, more than likely, you will want to use these captions at some point when you share your photo essay, which we dive into later in this article.

Add captions to the image files using Lightroom, Bridge, or other software programs.

Create a document, such as a Google or Word doc, with captions for each image.

In your captions, share a bit about the story behind the image, or the creation process. Add whatever makes sense to share that provides a greater understanding of the image and its purpose.

Photo essays allow you to explore deliberate style choices, such as a focus on shapes, patterns, textures, and lines. Since each photo is part of a larger essay, it encourages you to be bold with choices you might not otherwise make. 

5 Examples of amazing nature photo essays

1. “how the water shapes us” from the nature conservancy.

This gorgeous essay, crafted with the work of multiple photographers, explores the people and places within the Mississippi River basin. Through the images, we gain a sense of how the water influences life from the headwater all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Notice how each photographer is tasked with the same theme, yet approaches it with their own distinct style and vision. It is a wonderful example of the sheer level of visual variety you can have while maintaining a consistent style or theme.

View it here

2. “A Cyclist on the English Landscape” from New York Times’ The World Through A Lens series

This photo essay is a series of self-portraits by travel photographer Roff Smith while “stuck” at home during the pandemic. As he peddled the roads making portraits, the project evolved into a “celebration of traveling at home”. It’s a great example of how visually consistent you can be inside a theme while making each image completely unique.

3. “Vermont, Dressed In Snow” from New York Times’ The World Through A Lens series

This essay by aerial photographer Caleb Kenna uses a very common photo essay theme: snow. Because all images are aerial photographs, there’s a consistency to them. Yet, the compositions are utterly unique from one another. It’s a great example of keeping viewers surprised as they move from one image to the next while still maintaining a clear focus on the theme.

4. “Starling-Studded Skies” from bioGraphic Magazine

This beautiful essay is by Kathryn Cooper, a physicist trained in bioinformatics, and a talented photographer. She used a 19th century photographic technique, chronophotography, to create images that give us a look at the art and science of starling murmurations. She states: “I’m interested in the transient moments when chaos briefly changes to order, and thousands of individual bodies appear to move as one.” This essay is a great example of deep exploration of a concept using a specific photographic technique.

View it here   (Note: must be viewed on desktop)

5. “These Scrappy Photos Capture the Action-Packed World Beneath a Bird Feeder” from Audubon Magazine

This photo essay from conservation photographer Carla Rhodes explores the wildlife that takes advantage of the bounty of food waiting under bird feeders . Using remote camera photography , Rhodes gives viewers a unique ground-level perspective and captures moments that make us feel like we’re in conversation with friends in the Hundred Acre Woods. This essay is a great example of how perspective, personality, and chance can all come into play as you explore both an idea and a technique.

25 Ideas for creative photo essays you can make

The possibilities for photo essays are truly endless – from the concepts you explore to the techniques you use and styles you apply.

Choose an idea, hone your unique perspective on it, then start applying the 9 simple steps from above. 

• The life of a plant or animal (your favorite species, a species living in your yard, etc)
• The many shapes of a single species (a tree species, a bird species, etc)
• How a place changes over time
• The various moods of a place
• A conservation issue you care about
• Math in nature
• Urban nature
• Seasonal changes
• Your yard as a space for nature
• Shifting climate and its impacts
• Human impacts on environments
• Elements: Water, wind, fire, earth
• Day in the life (of a person, a place, a stream, a tree…)
• Outdoor recreation (birding, kayaking, hiking, naturalist journaling…)
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Lunar cycles
• Sunlight and shadows
• Your local watershed
• Coexistence

As you zero in on a photo essay theme, consider two things: what most excites you about an idea, and what about it pushes you out of your comfort zone. The heady mix of joy and challenge will ensure you stick with it. 

Your photo essay is ready for the world! Decide how you’d like to make an impact with your work. You might use one or several of the options below.

1. Share it on your website

Create a gallery or a scrollytelling page on your website. This is a great way to drive traffic to your website where people can peruse your photo essay and the rest of the photography you have.

Putting it on your website and optimizing your images for SEO helps you build organic traffic and potentially be discovered by a broader audience, including photo editors.

2. Create a scrollytelling web page

If you enjoy the experience of immersive visual experiences, consider making one using your essay. And no, you don’t have to be a whiz at code to make it happen.

Shorthand helps you build web pages with scrollytelling techniques that make a big impression on viewers. Their free plan allows you to publish 3 essays or stories.

3. Create a Medium post

If you don’t have a website and want to keep things simple, a post on Medium is a great option.

Though it’s known for being a platform for bloggers, it’s also possible to add images to a post for a simple scroll.

And, because readers can discover and share posts, it’s a good place for your photos to get the attention of people who might not otherwise come across it.

4. Share it on Instagram

Instagram has changed a lot over the last couple of years, but it’s still a place for photographers to share their work thoughtfully.

There are at least 3 great ways to share your photo essay on the platform.

– Create a single post for each image. Add a caption. Publish one post per day until the full essay is on your feed. Share each post via Instagram Stories to bring more attention and interaction to your photo essay.

– Create a carousel post. You can add up 10 photos to a carousel post, so you may need to create two of them for your full photo essay. Or you might create a series of carousel posts using 3-4 images in each.

– Create a Reel featuring your images as a video.  The algorithm heavily favors reels, so turning your photo essay into a video experience can get it out to a larger audience.

I ran a “create a reel” challenge in my membership community. One member created a reel with her still images around a serious conservation issue. It gathered a ton of attention and landed her opportunities to share her message through YouTube and podcast interviews and publishing opportunities. Watch it here.

5. Exhibit it locally

Reach out to local galleries, cafes, pubs, or even the public library to see if they’re interested in hanging your photo essay for display. Many local businesses and organizations happily support the work of local artists.

6. Pitch your photo essay to publications

One of the best ways to reach an audience with your work is to get it published. Find publications that are a great fit for the theme and style of your photo essay, then pitch your essay for consideration. You gain a fantastic opportunity to share your work widely and can earn a paycheck at the same time.

Remember that if you want to get your photo essay published, you may want to hold back from sharing it publicly before you pitch it to publications.

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What is a Photo Essay? 9 Photo Essay Examples You Can Recreate

A photo essay is a series of photographs that tell a story. Unlike a written essay, a photo essay focuses on visuals instead of words. With a photo essay, you can stretch your creative limits and explore new ways to connect with your audience. Whatever your photography skill level, you can recreate your own fun and creative photo essay.

9 Photo Essay Examples You Can Recreate

• Photowalk Photo Essay
• Transformation Photo Essay
• Day in the Life Photo Essay
• Event Photo Essay
• Building Photo Essay
• Historic Site or Landmark Photo Essay
• Behind the Scenes Photo Essay
• Family Photo Essay
• Education Photo Essay

Stories are important to all of us. While some people gravitate to written stories, others are much more attuned to visual imagery. With a photo essay, you can tell a story without writing a word. Your use of composition, contrast, color, and perspective in photography will convey ideas and evoke emotions.

To explore narrative photography, you can use basic photographic equipment. You can buy a camera or even use your smartphone to get started. While lighting, lenses, and post-processing software can enhance your photos, they aren’t necessary to achieve good results.

Whether you need to complete a photo essay assignment or want to pursue one for fun or professional purposes, you can use these photo essay ideas for your photography inspiration . Once you know the answer to “what is a photo essay?” and find out how fun it is to create one, you’ll likely be motivated to continue your forays into photographic storytelling.

1 . Photowalk Photo Essay

One popular photo essay example is a photowalk. Simply put, a photowalk is time you set aside to walk around a city, town, or a natural site and take photos. Some cities even have photowalk tours led by professional photographers. On these tours, you can learn the basics about how to operate your camera, practice photography composition techniques, and understand how to look for unique shots that help tell your story.

Set aside at least two to three hours for your photowalk. Even if you’re photographing a familiar place—like your own home town—try to look at it through new eyes. Imagine yourself as a first-time visitor or pretend you’re trying to educate a tourist about the area.

Walk around slowly and look for different ways to capture the mood and energy of your location. If you’re in a city, capture wide shots of streets, close-ups of interesting features on buildings, street signs, and candid shots of people. Look for small details that give the city character and life. And try some new concepts—like reflection picture ideas—by looking for opportunities to photographs reflections in mirrored buildings, puddles, fountains, or bodies of water.

2 . Transformation Photo Essay

With a transformation photography essay, you can tell the story about change over time. One of the most popular photostory examples, a transformation essay can document a mom-to-be’s pregnancy or a child’s growth from infancy into the toddler years. But people don’t need to be the focus of a transformation essay. You can take photos of a house that is being built or an urban area undergoing revitalization.

You can also create a photo narrative to document a short-term change. Maybe you want to capture images of your growing garden or your move from one home to another. These examples of photo essays are powerful ways of telling the story of life’s changes—both large and small.

3 . Day in the Life Photo Essay

Want a unique way to tell a person’s story? Or, perhaps you want to introduce people to a career or activity. You may want to consider a day in the life essay.

With this photostory example, your narrative focuses on a specific subject for an entire day. For example, if you are photographing a farmer, you’ll want to arrive early in the morning and shadow the farmer as he or she performs daily tasks. Capture a mix of candid shots of the farmer at work and add landscapes and still life of equipment for added context. And if you are at a farm, don’t forget to get a few shots of the animals for added character, charm, or even a dose of humor. These types of photography essay examples are great practice if you are considering pursuing photojournalism. They also help you learn and improve your candid portrait skills.

4 . Event Photo Essay

Events are happening in your local area all the time, and they can make great photo essays. With a little research, you can quickly find many events that you could photograph. There may be bake sales, fundraisers, concerts, art shows, farm markets, block parties, and other non profit event ideas . You could also focus on a personal event, such as a birthday or graduation.

At most events, your primary emphasis will be on capturing candid photos of people in action. You can also capture backgrounds or objects to set the scene. For example, at a birthday party, you’ll want to take photos of the cake and presents.

For a local or community event, you can share your photos with the event organizer. Or, you may be able to post them on social media and tag the event sponsor. This is a great way to gain recognition and build your reputation as a talented photographer.

5. Building Photo Essay

Many buildings can be a compelling subject for a photographic essay. Always make sure that you have permission to enter and photograph the building. Once you do, look for interesting shots and angles that convey the personality, purpose, and history of the building. You may also be able to photograph the comings and goings of people that visit or work in the building during the day.

Some photographers love to explore and photograph abandoned buildings. With these types of photos, you can provide a window into the past. Definitely make sure you gain permission before entering an abandoned building and take caution since some can have unsafe elements and structures.

6. Historic Site or Landmark Photo Essay

Taking a series of photos of a historic site or landmark can be a great experience. You can learn to capture the same site from different angles to help portray its character and tell its story. And you can also photograph how people visit and engage with the site or landmark. Take photos at different times of day and in varied lighting to capture all its nuances and moods.

You can also use your photographic essay to help your audience understand the history of your chosen location. For example, if you want to provide perspective on the Civil War, a visit to a battleground can be meaningful. You can also visit a site when reenactors are present to share insight on how life used to be in days gone by.

7 . Behind the Scenes Photo Essay

Another fun essay idea is taking photos “behind the scenes” at an event. Maybe you can chronicle all the work that goes into a holiday festival from the early morning set-up to the late-night teardown. Think of the lead event planner as the main character of your story and build the story about him or her.

Or, you can go backstage at a drama production. Capture photos of actors and actresses as they transform their looks with costuming and makeup. Show the lead nervously pacing in the wings before taking center stage. Focus the work of stagehands, lighting designers, and makeup artists who never see the spotlight but bring a vital role in bringing the play to life.

8. Family Photo Essay

If you enjoy photographing people, why not explore photo story ideas about families and relationships? You can focus on interactions between two family members—such as a father and a daughter—or convey a message about a family as a whole.

Sometimes these type of photo essays can be all about the fun and joy of living in a close-knit family. But sometimes they can be powerful portraits of challenging social topics. Images of a family from another country can be a meaningful photo essay on immigration. You could also create a photo essay on depression by capturing families who are coping with one member’s illness.

For these projects on difficult topics, you may want to compose a photo essay with captions. These captions can feature quotes from family members or document your own observations. Although approaching hard topics isn’t easy, these types of photos can have lasting impact and value.

9. Education Photo Essay

Opportunities for education photo essays are everywhere—from small preschools to community colleges and universities. You can seek permission to take photos at public or private schools or even focus on alternative educational paths, like homeschooling.

Your education photo essay can take many forms. For example, you can design a photo essay of an experienced teacher at a high school. Take photos of him or her in action in the classroom, show quiet moments grading papers, and capture a shared laugh between colleagues in the teacher’s lounge.

Alternatively, you can focus on a specific subject—such as science and technology. Or aim to portray a specific grade level, document activities club or sport, or portray the social environment. A photo essay on food choices in the cafeteria can be thought-provoking or even funny. There are many potential directions to pursue and many great essay examples.

While education is an excellent topic for a photo essay for students, education can be a great source of inspiration for any photographer.

Why Should You Create a Photo Essay?

Ultimately, photographers are storytellers. Think of what a photographer does during a typical photo shoot. He or she will take a series of photos that helps convey the essence of the subject—whether that is a person, location, or inanimate object. For example, a family portrait session tells the story of a family—who they are, their personalities, and the closeness of their relationship.

Learning how to make a photo essay can help you become a better storyteller—and a better photographer. You’ll cultivate key photography skills that you can carry with you no matter where your photography journey leads.

If you simply want to document life’s moments on social media, you may find that a single picture doesn’t always tell the full story. Reviewing photo essay examples and experimenting with your own essay ideas can help you choose meaningful collections of photos to share with friends and family online.

Learning how to create photo essays can also help you work towards professional photography ambitions. You’ll often find that bloggers tell photographic stories. For example, think of cooking blogs that show you each step in making a recipe. Photo essays are also a mainstay of journalism. You’ll often find photo essays examples in many media outlets—everywhere from national magazines to local community newspapers. And the best travel photographers on Instagram tell great stories with their photos, too.

With a photo essay, you can explore many moods and emotions. Some of the best photo essays tell serious stories, but some are humorous, and others aim to evoke action.

You can raise awareness with a photo essay on racism or a photo essay on poverty. A photo essay on bullying can help change the social climate for students at a school. Or, you can document a fun day at the beach or an amusement park. You have control of the themes, photographic elements, and the story you want to tell.

5 Steps to Create a Photo Essay

Every photo essay will be different, but you can use a standard process. Following these five steps will guide you through every phase of your photo essay project—from brainstorming creative essay topics to creating a photo essay to share with others.

Step 1: Choose Your Photo Essay Topics

Just about any topic you can imagine can form the foundation for a photo essay. You may choose to focus on a specific event, such as a wedding, performance, or festival. Or you may want to cover a topic over a set span of time, such as documenting a child’s first year. You could also focus on a city or natural area across the seasons to tell a story of changing activities or landscapes.

Since the best photo essays convey meaning and emotion, choose a topic of interest. Your passion for the subject matter will shine through each photograph and touch your viewer’s hearts and minds.

Step 2: Conduct Upfront Research

Much of the work in a good-quality photo essay begins before you take your first photo. It’s always a good idea to do some research on your planned topic.

Imagine you’re going to take photos of a downtown area throughout the year. You should spend some time learning the history of the area. Talk with local residents and business owners and find out about planned events. With these insights, you’ll be able to plan ahead and be prepared to take photos that reflect the area’s unique personality and lifestyles.

For any topic you choose, gather information first. This may involve internet searches, library research, interviews, or spending time observing your subject.

Step 3: Storyboard Your Ideas

After you have done some research and have a good sense of the story you want to tell, you can create a storyboard. With a storyboard, you can write or sketch out the ideal pictures you want to capture to convey your message.

You can turn your storyboard into a “shot list” that you can bring with you on site. A shot list can be especially helpful when you are at a one-time event and want to capture specific shots for your photo essay. If you’ve never created a photo essay before, start with ten shot ideas. Think of each shot as a sentence in your story. And aim to make each shot evoke specific ideas or emotions.

Step 4: Capture Images

Your storyboard and shot list will be important guides to help you make the most of each shoot. Be sure to set aside enough time to capture all the shots you need—especially if you are photographing a one-time event. And allow yourself to explore your ideas using different photography composition, perspective, and color contrast techniques.

You may need to take a hundred images or more to get ten perfect ones for your photographic essay. Or, you may find that you want to add more photos to your story and expand your picture essay concept.

Also, remember to look for special unplanned, moments that help tell your story. Sometimes, spontaneous photos that aren’t on your shot list can be full of meaning. A mix of planning and flexibility almost always yields the best results.

Step 5: Edit and Organize Photos to Tell Your Story

After capturing your images, you can work on compiling your photo story. To create your photo essay, you will need to make decisions about which images portray your themes and messages. At times, this can mean setting aside beautiful images that aren’t a perfect fit. You can use your shot list and storyboard as a guide but be open to including photos that weren’t in your original plans.

You may want to use photo editing software—such as Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop— to enhance and change photographs. With these tools, you can adjust lighting and white balance, perform color corrections, crop, or perform other edits. If you have a signature photo editing style, you may want to use Photoshop Actions or Lightroom Presets to give all your photos a consistent look and feel.

You order a photo book from one of the best photo printing websites to publish your photo story. You can add them to an album on a photo sharing site, such as Flickr or Google Photos. Also, you could focus on building a website dedicated to documenting your concepts through visual photo essays. If so, you may want to use SEO for photographers to improve your website’s ranking in search engine results. You could even publish your photo essay on social media. Another thing to consider is whether you want to include text captures or simply tell your story through photographs.

Choose the medium that feels like the best space to share your photo essay ideas and vision with your audiences. You should think of your photo essay as your own personal form of art and expression when deciding where and how to publish it.

Photo Essays Can Help You Become a Better Photographer

Whatever your photography ambitions may be, learning to take a photo essay can help you grow. Even simple essay topics can help you gain skills and stretch your photographic limits. With a photo essay, you start to think about how a series of photographs work together to tell a complete story. You’ll consider how different shots work together, explore options for perspective and composition, and change the way you look at the world.

Before you start taking photos, you should review photo essay examples. You can find interesting pictures to analyze and photo story examples online, in books, or in classic publications, like Life Magazine . Don’t forget to look at news websites for photojournalism examples to broaden your perspective. This review process will help you in brainstorming simple essay topics for your first photo story and give you ideas for the future as well.

Ideas and inspiration for photo essay topics are everywhere. You can visit a park or go out into your own backyard to pursue a photo essay on nature. Or, you can focus on the day in the life of someone you admire with a photo essay of a teacher, fireman, or community leader. Buildings, events, families, and landmarks are all great subjects for concept essay topics. If you are feeling stuck coming up with ideas for essays, just set aside a few hours to walk around your city or town and take photos. This type of photowalk can be a great source of material.

You’ll soon find that advanced planning is critical to your success. Brainstorming topics, conducting research, creating a storyboard, and outlining a shot list can help ensure you capture the photos you need to tell your story. After you’ve finished shooting, you’ll need to decide where to house your photo essay. You may need to come up with photo album title ideas, write captions, and choose the best medium and layout.

Without question, creating a photo essay can be a valuable experience for any photographer. That’s true whether you’re an amateur completing a high school assignment or a pro looking to hone new skills. You can start small with an essay on a subject you know well and then move into conquering difficult ideas. Maybe you’ll want to create a photo essay on mental illness or a photo essay on climate change. Or maybe there’s another cause that is close to your heart.

Whatever your passion, you can bring it to life with a photo essay.

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How to Make a Photo Essay

Last Updated: September 27, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Heather Gallagher . Heather Gallagher is a Photojournalist & Photographer based in Austin, Texas. She runs her own photography studio named "Heather Gallagher Photography" which was voted Austin's Best Family Photographer and top 3 Birth Photographers in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Heather specializes in family Photojournalism and has over 15 years of experience documenting individuals, families, and businesses all over the world. Her clients include Delta Airlines, Oracle, Texas Monthly, and her work has been featured in The Washington Post and The Austin American Statesman. She is a member of the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IAPBP). There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 287,877 times.

Photo essays are an increasingly popular medium for journalists, bloggers, and advertisers alike. Whether you’re trying to show the emotional impact of a current news story or share your hobby with friends and family, images can capture your topic in a personal, emotional, and interesting way. Creating a photo essay can be as easy as choosing a topic, getting your images, and organizing the essay.

Things You Should Know

• Reflect long and hard on your topic, considering your audience, current events, and whether to go for a thematic or narrative approach.
• Create an outline, including your focus image, establishing shot, clincher, and other image details.
• When you finally take your photos, remember to take more photos than you think you need and don't be afraid to let the project change as you create it.

Finding Your Topic

• Offer a photo essay of your place of business as a training tool.
• Use a photo essay about your business as a sales or social tool by publishing it on your website or social media page.
• Create a how to photo essay to help others learn about your hobby, so they can take it up as well. [4] X Research source

• Thematic subjects are big ideas including things like local gun laws, at-risk youth, or welcoming home soldiers.
• Narrative essays can include a day in the life, how to tutorials, or progression series that show changes over time such as tracking a building project.
• If you have been given a commission or specific publication to work with, you may need to choose a topic that will fit a thematic or narrative approach as outlined by the publication. Make sure you are aware of any publication guidelines in advance.

Organizing Your Shoot

• Consider how difficult it will be to get permission to photograph your subjects. If you already have relationships established, it will be easier. If not, allow for extra time to get permission and/or waivers.
• Schools, daycares, and other places with kids typically have more regulations on who can be photographed and for what purposes. You’ll usually need to get parental approval, in addition to permission from those in charge. [7] X Research source

• Consider doing interviews with people involved prior to the shoot. Ask things like, “What’s the most interesting thing you do during this event?” or “How long have you been involved with this organization?”
• These interviews are also a great opportunity to ask for permission and get waivers.
• If you’re going to visit a job site, charitable event, or other large group activity, ask the person or persons in charge to explain what you’re doing to everyone before you arrive. [8] X Research source

Capturing Your Images

• Many new photographers stay away from high ISO shots because they allow more light through producing a “busy” image. However, these images are often easier to edit later as there’s more information to work with. [11] X Research source
• If it’s very bright in your location or you’ve set up artificial lighting, a low ISO is likely adequate, For darker areas, you’ll likely need to use a higher ISO.
• If you need one second to capture an image with a base ISO of 100, you’ll need one eighth of a second to capture with an ISO of 800. [13] X Research source

• Even snapping candid shots, which you may need to capture quickly, take a few moments to think about how objects are placed to make the most impact.
• Always think about how the main subject’s surroundings play into the overall image, and try to create different levels and points of interest.
• You can change composition as part of the editing process in some cases, so if you can’t line up the shot just right, don’t let it deter you from capturing the image you want. [14] X Research source

Organizing the Essay

• If you’re doing a day in the life photo essay about a frustrated person working in an office, an image of that person struggling to open the front door against the wind might be an apt focus shot.
• If your essay is about the process of building a home, your focus image may be something like a contractor and architect looking at blue prints with the framed up home in the background.
• If your essay is about a family reunion, the focus image may be a funny shot of the whole family making faces, pretending to be fighting, or a serious photo of the family posed together. Capture whatever seems natural for the family. [18] X Research source

• Regardless of essay type, you’ll need a focus image to grab attention.
• Use an overall shot to give context to your essay. Where is it, when is it happening, who’s involved, what’s going on, and why should someone be interested? The five “W’s” of journalism are a great way to determine what your overall shot should capture.
• Find your final image. This should be something provocative that asks your viewer to think about the topic.
• Between the focus and overall shot and ending image, include a series of images that move the viewer from the lead-in shots to its result. Use images that build in intensity or draw the viewers further into the essay.

• If the images aren’t telling the story, ask your friends to look at your other photos and ask, “I wanted this image to make this point. You got a different idea. Would any of these images make this point to you more clearly?”
• If the others like the images you’ve chosen, you may still want to ask them to look at your other photos and tell you if they think any of the images you didn’t include should be added in. They may see something you missed. [20] X Research source

• If you're commissioned to add photos to an essay, you should make sure images reflect the written word, but also add emotion and context the writing could not capture. For example, an essay on poverty may include an image of a child and parent living on the street could capture more emotional context.
• Captions should only include information the viewer could not derive from the photo itself. For instance, you can include a date, the subject’s name, or a statistic relevant to your subject in the caption.
• If you choose not to have any text or just a title and some introductory and/or closing words, make sure you convey all necessary information succinctly. [21] X Research source

Expert Q&A

• Be creative with your topics. However, something as simple as "things I like" will suffice so long as you stay creative. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Make sure you're familiar with your camera. It will make the photo composition a lot easier. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't get discouraged. It may take several tries to get the desired results in your photos. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://digital-photography-school.com/5-photo-essay-tips/
• ↑ Heather Gallagher. Professional Photojournalist & Photographer. Expert Interview. 8 April 2020.
• ↑ http://improvephotography.com/30816/10-ideas-creative-photo-essays/
• ↑ http://www.apogeephoto.com/how-to-create-a-photo-essay/
• ↑ https://petapixel.com/how-to-create-a-photo-essay/
• ↑ http://photo.journalism.cuny.edu/week-5/
• ↑ http://clickitupanotch.com/2010/12/creating-a-photo-essay/
• ↑ https://photographylife.com/what-is-iso-in-photography
• ↑ https://wiredimpact.com/blog/how-to-make-a-photo-essay-nonprofit/
• ↑ http://digital-photography-school.com/5-tips-for-creating-a-photo-essay-with-a-purpose/
• ↑ https://www.format.com/magazine/resources/photography/how-to-make-photo-essay-examples

About This Article

To make a photo essay, start by selecting a subject that is easy to capture and that inspires you, like a friend or a family pet. Then, decide if you want to present your photo essay as thematic, which shows specific examples of a big idea, or narrative, with a beginning, middle, and end. Next, create an outline of your essay to determine which photos you’ll need, like an establishing shot. Finally, take your photos, select which images you want to use in your essay, and organize them according to your theme before adding text to explain the essay. To learn how to capture the best images, keep scrolling! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Make a Photo Essay: 5 Tips for Impactful Results

A Post By: Christina N Dickson

Want to tell meaningful stories with your photos? That’s what a photo essay is all about: conveying concepts and narratives through a series of carefully chosen images.

While telling a story with photos can be a daunting task, there are several easy tips and techniques you can use in your photo essays to create striking, stunning, eye-opening results.

And that’s what I’m going to share in this article: five photo essay tips that you can immediately apply to your photography. You’ll leave as a better photo essayist than when you arrived!

Let’s get started.

What is a photo essay?

A photo essay is a collection of images placed in a specific order to convey certain emotions , specific concepts, or a progression of events.

In other words:

The photo essay tells stories just like a normal piece of writing , except with images instead of words. (Here, I’m using the term “story” loosely; as mentioned above, photo essays can encapsulate emotions or concepts in addition to traditional, time-based narratives.)

Plenty of world-class photojournalists use photo essays, including Lauren Greenfield, James Nachtwey, and Joachim Ladefoged. But the photo essay format isn’t exclusive to professionals, and photo essays don’t need to cover dramatic events such as wars, natural disasters, and social issues. Whether you are a complete beginner, a hobbyist, or a professional, the photo essay is a great way to bring your images to life, tell relevant stories about your own surroundings, and touch your family, friends, and coworkers.

So without further ado, let’s look at five easy tips to take your photo essays to the next level, starting with:

1. Find a topic you care about

Every good photo essay should start with an idea .

Otherwise, you’ll be shooting without a purpose – and while such an approach may eventually lead to an interesting series of photos, it’s far, far easier to begin with a topic and only then take out your camera.

As I emphasized above, a photo essay can be about anything. You don’t need to fixate on “classic” photo essay themes, such as war and poverty. Instead, you might focus on local issues that matter to you (think of problems plaguing your community). You can also think about interesting stories worth telling, even if they don’t have an activism angle.

For instance, is there an area undergoing major development? Try documenting the work from start to finish. Is there a particular park or nature area you love? Create a series of images that communicate its beauty.

One key item to remember:

Photo essays are most powerful when you, as the photographer, care about the subject. Whether you choose to document something major and public, like an environmental crisis, or whether you choose to document something small and intimate, like the first month of a newborn in the family, make sure you focus on a topic that matters to you .

Otherwise, you’ll struggle to finish the essay – and even if you do successfully complete it, viewers will likely notice your lack of passion.

2. Do your research

The best photo essays involve some real work. Don’t just walk around and shoot with abandon; instead, try to understand your subject.

That way, you can capture a more authentic series of photos.

For instance, if you document a newborn’s first month , spend time with the family. Discover who the parents are, what culture they are from, and their parenting philosophy.

If you cover the process of a school’s drama production, talk with the teachers, actors, and stagehands; investigate the general interest of the student body; find out how the school is financing the production and keeping costs down.

If you photograph a birthday party, check out the theme, the decorations they plan on using, what the birthday kid hopes to get for their gifts.

If you’re passionate about your topic, the research should come easy. You should enjoy learning the backstory.

And then, when it comes time to actually shoot, you’ll have a much clearer understanding of the topic. You’ll know the key players in the story, the key ideas, and the key locations. You’ll be able to hone in on what matters and block out the flashy distractions.

Make sense?

3. Find the right angle

Once you’ve done your research, you’ll know your topic inside and out.

At which point you’ll need to ask yourself:

What is the real, authentic story I want to tell?

Every story has a hundred different angles and perspectives. And trying to share the story from every perspective is a recipe for failure.

Instead, pick a single angle and focus on it. If you’re documenting a local issue, do you want to focus on how it affects children? The physical area? The economy? If you’re documenting a newborn’s first month, do you want to focus on the interaction between the newborn and the parents? The growth of the newborn? The newborn’s emotions?

As you’ll find out during your research, even stories that seem to be completely one-sided have plenty of hidden perspectives to draw on.

So think about your story carefully. In general, I recommend you approach it from the angle you’re most passionate about (consider the previous tip!), but you’re always free to explore different perspectives.

4. Convey emotion

Not all photo essays must convey emotion. But the most powerful ones do.

After all, think of the stories that you know and love. Your favorite books, movies, and TV shows. Do they touch you on an emotional level?

Don’t get me wrong: Every photo essay shouldn’t cover a sappy, heartstring-tugging tale. You can always focus on conveying other emotions: anger, joy, fear, hurt, excitement.

(Of course, if your story is sappy and heartstring-tugging, that’s fine, too – just don’t force it!)

How do you convey emotions, though? There’s no one set way, but you can include photos of meaningful scenes – human interactions generally work well here! – or you can simply show emotion on the faces of your photographic subjects . Really, the best way to communicate emotions through your photos is to feel the emotions yourself; they’ll bleed over into your work for a unique result.

5. Plan your shots

Once you’ve done the research and determined the angle and emotions you’d like to convey, I recommend you sit down, take out a pen and paper, and plan your photo essay .

Should you extensively visualize each photo? Should you walk through the venue, imagining possible compositions ?

Honestly, that’s up to you, and it’ll depend on how you like to work. I do recommend that beginners start out by creating a “shot list” for the essay. Here, you should describe the main subject, the narrative purpose of the image, plus any lighting or composition notes. Once you become more experienced, you can be looser in your planning, though I still recommend you at least think about the different shots you want to capture.

You can start by planning 10 shots. Each one should emphasize a different concept or emotion, but make sure to keep a consistent thread running through every composition; after all, the end goal is to create a powerful series of images that tell a story.

One final tip:

While you should stick to your plan pretty closely, at least at first, don’t ignore the potential for spontaneity. If you see a possible shot, take it! You can later evaluate whether it’s a worthwhile addition to your essay.

Photo essay tips: final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know all about what photo essays are, and – hopefully! – how to create a beautiful essay of your own.

Just remember: storytelling takes practice, but you don’t have to be an incredible writer to pull off a powerful photo essay. All you need is a bit of photographic technique, some creativity, and a lot of heart.

Once you start to tell stories with your photos, your portfolio will never be the same!

Now over to you:

Do you have any tips for doing photo essays? Do you have any essays you’re proud of? Share them in the comments below!

Read more from our Tips & Tutorials category

is a visionary artist and philanthropist in Portland Oregon. Her work includes wedding photography www.BrideInspired.com and leadership with www.RevMediaBlog.com .

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How To Write A Picture Book in 18 Steps

Ever dreamed of writing a picture book? Learn how with this simple guide on how to write a picture book in 18 steps with examples. We’ll cover everything from brainstorming ideas to final publication so you can share your story with young readers. Let’s dive in and start bringing your picture book to life!

Key Characteristics of a Picture Book

Types of picture books, step 1: define your target audience, step 2: brainstorm ideas, step 3: develop your idea, step 4: create memorable characters, step 5: outline your story, step 6: choose a narrative style, step 7: write a 1st draft, step 8: edit and refine, step 9: the book title, step 10: create a dummy book, step 11: format your book, step 12: illustrate your book, step 13: design book cover, step 14: update the dummy book, step 15: seek feedback, step 16: final polish, step 17: publish your book, step 18: celebrate, how do you structure a picture book, how do i write my first picture book, how much money can you make from writing a picture book, is it hard to write a picture book, what is a picture book.

A picture book is a form of children’s literature that combines written text with illustrations, often targeting younger readers up to around 8 years old. Unlike novels or chapter books , picture books rely heavily on illustrations to convey the narrative, making them an essential component of the storytelling process. These books typically feature a relatively simple storyline, accompanied by vibrant and engaging artwork that enhances the reader’s understanding and enjoyment.

Picture books come in various formats and styles, ranging from traditional hardcover editions to board books designed for infants and toddlers. They cover a wide range of themes and topics, from whimsical adventures to educational narratives, aiming to captivate young imaginations and foster a love of reading from an early age.

In addition to entertaining young readers, picture books also play a crucial role in promoting literacy and language development. The combination of text and visuals encourages children to make connections between words and images, aiding in comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. Furthermore, the interactive nature of picture books can spark curiosity and creativity, prompting discussions and inspiring imaginative play.

Here are the key characteristics of a picture book:

• Visual Storytelling: Vibrant illustrations, whether painted, drawn, or digitally rendered, play a crucial role in carrying the story forward. They expand upon the text, reveal emotions, and set the scene, igniting the reader’s imagination.
• Sparsity of text: Picture books typically have limited text, using simple, evocative language accessible to young readers. This encourages engagement with the illustrations and fosters imagination.
• Focus on character development: Picture books often introduce young readers to relatable characters who navigate challenges, experience emotions, and learn valuable lessons.
• Genre Versatility: Picture books encompass a wide range of genres, from whimsical fantasy to heart-warming realism, tackling themes of friendship, loss, identity, and more.
• Appeal to a range of ages: While primarily designed for children, picture books can resonate with adults as well, offering deeper layers of meaning and emotional connection.

Whether you’re an aspiring author or simply curious about this captivating literary form, understanding the essence of a picture book is the first step to appreciating its magic and exploring its potential.

Picture books come in various types, each catering to different ages, interests, and reading levels. Understanding these types can help writers and illustrators tailor their creations to suit their target audience effectively. Here are some common types of picture books:

• Board Books: Sturdy and often made of thick cardboard, board books are designed for infants and toddlers. They feature simple, colourful illustrations and minimal text, focusing on basic concepts such as shapes, colours, animals, and everyday routines. Board books are durable and suitable for little hands, making them ideal for introducing babies to the joy of reading.
• Concept Books: Concept books are centred around teaching specific concepts or skills, such as counting, alphabet, opposites, and emotions. They use engaging illustrations and straightforward text to help young readers grasp abstract ideas in a fun and accessible way. Concept books are invaluable tools for early childhood education, laying the foundation for future learning.
• Storybooks: Storybooks form the bulk of picture book literature, featuring narrative-driven stories with engaging characters, plots, and themes. They cover a wide range of genres, including fantasy, adventure, humour, and friendship, catering to diverse interests and tastes. Storybooks typically contain more text than other types of picture books, accompanied by detailed illustrations that bring the story to life.
• Wordless Picture Books: Wordless picture books rely solely on illustrations to tell a story, empty of any written text. They encourage readers to interpret the narrative through visual cues, fostering imagination, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Wordless picture books are particularly beneficial for pre-readers and language learners, allowing them to engage with the story independently and at their own pace.
• Interactive Books: Interactive picture books incorporate elements that encourage reader participation, such as lift-the-flap, touch-and-feel, or pop-up features. These books actively involve children in the reading experience, prompting them to interact with the story in various ways. Interactive books enhance engagement and sensory exploration, making reading a hands-on and enjoyable activity.
• Biographical and Non-Fiction Picture Books: Biographical and non-fiction picture books explore real-life people, events, and topics, providing educational and informative content for young readers. They combine engaging storytelling with factual accuracy, presenting complex subjects in a clear and accessible manner. Biographical and non-fiction picture books inspire curiosity and broaden children’s understanding of the world around them.

By understanding the different types of picture books available, writers and illustrators can create captivating and relevant stories that resonate with their intended audience.

How To Write a Picture Book in 18 Steps 

Follow this 18-step guide to take your picture book from the initial concept to the published masterpiece.

Before diving into the creative process, it’s essential to identify who your picture book is intended for. Understanding your target audience will guide your storytelling decisions, including the themes, language, and visual elements you incorporate into your book.

Let’s say you’re planning to write a picture book about a mischievous kitten’s adventures. Before you start brainstorming ideas, consider who will be reading your book. Are you targeting toddlers who love cute animal stories? Or perhaps preschoolers who enjoy interactive narratives? By defining your target audience as young children between the ages of 2 and 5, you can tailor your story and illustrations to align with their interests and developmental stage.

By defining your target audience upfront, you can ensure that your picture book resonates with the right readers and meets their needs effectively.

Once you’ve defined your target audience, it’s time to let your creativity flow and generate potential concepts for your picture book. Brainstorming allows you to explore different themes, settings, and plotlines, ensuring that you find the perfect idea to bring to life.

Imagine you’ve decided to create a picture book aimed at preschoolers with a focus on teaching empathy and kindness. To brainstorm ideas , grab a notebook and jot down any thoughts or images that come to mind related to these themes. Consider scenarios that young children can relate to, such as sharing toys, comforting a friend, or helping a lost animal.

You might brainstorm ideas like:

• A story about a shy bunny who learns to make friends by sharing her favourite carrot with a new classmate.
• An adventure featuring a group of animal friends who work together to rescue a lost puppy and reunite it with its family.
• A tale about a curious bear cub who discovers the joy of helping others when he finds a lost teddy bear in the woods.

During the brainstorming process, don’t worry about perfection or feasibility. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible, no matter how wild or unconventional they may seem. Once you have a list of potential concepts, you can evaluate them based on their suitability for your target audience and the message you want to convey.

By brainstorming ideas, you’ll uncover creative gems that have the potential to become captivating picture books that resonate with young readers. So grab your notebook and let your imagination soar!

Once you’ve settled on a promising concept for your picture book, it’s time to flesh out your idea and develop it into a coherent storyline. This stage involves expanding on your initial concept, crafting engaging characters, and mapping out the key events that will drive your narrative forward.

Here you can choose one idea from the previous step and form a paragraph idea summary for it. The idea summary should ideally include the following three elements, a hint at the main characters, what they want and why they can’t get what they want. 

For example for the idea of a shy bunny, your idea summary might look something like this:

In a peaceful woodland clearing, there lives a shy bunny named Blossom, whose heart is as tender as the petals of a spring flower. Despite her gentle nature, Blossom longs for the warmth of friendship but struggles to overcome her timid disposition. When a new classmate, a timid squirrel named Hazel, joins the woodland school, Blossom sees an opportunity to extend an olive branch. She yearns to share her most prized possession, a plump, juicy carrot, as a gesture of friendship. However, her insecurities and fear of rejection hold her back, making it challenging for her to take the first step towards forming a connection. As Blossom grapples with her inner turmoil, she must find the courage to reach out to Hazel and discover the transformative power of kindness and generosity.

By developing your idea in this way, you’ll lay the groundwork for a compelling and emotionally resonant story that will captivate young readers and leave a lasting impression.

One of the key elements that bring a picture book to life is its characters. Memorable and relatable characters can capture the hearts of young readers and keep them engaged throughout the story. In this step, focus on developing characters that are unique, multi-dimensional, and well-suited to the theme and tone of your book.

Let’s continue with the example of the shy bunny from our previous step. To create memorable characters, start by brainstorming traits and characteristics that will make your bunny protagonist endearing and relatable to your target audience of preschoolers. Consider aspects such as:

• Personality: Is the bunny timid yet kind-hearted? Does she have any quirks or special talents that set her apart?
• Appearance: What does the bunny look like? Does she have distinctive features or a unique fashion sense?
• Goals and Motivations: What does the bunny hope to achieve throughout the story? What drives her to overcome her shyness and reach out to others?
• Relationships: How does the bunny interact with other characters in the story? Does she have a supportive family or friends who play a significant role in her journey?

For example, you might envision your bunny protagonist as a soft-spoken but compassionate creature with floppy ears and a love for gardening. She dreams of making friends but struggles with self-doubt and anxiety in social situations. However, her love for growing carrots and flowers serves as a source of comfort and confidence, helping her connect with others on a deeper level.

In addition to the main character, don’t forget to create supporting characters that complement and enhance the storyline. These could include friends, family members, or even quirky sidekicks who add humour and depth to the narrative.

By crafting well-developed and relatable characters, you’ll create a strong emotional connection with your readers, ensuring that your picture book leaves a lasting impression long after the final page is turned.

With your characters established, it’s time to map out the plot of your picture book. Creating an outline helps you structure your story, ensuring that it flows smoothly from beginning to end and effectively conveys your message or theme to young readers.

Continuing with our example of the shy bunny protagonist, let’s outline the key events and plot points that will drive her journey of overcoming shyness and making friends, along with notes on illustrations to possibly include:

• Introduce the shy bunny protagonist and establish her desire to make friends.
• Illustration: Show the bunny in her garden home, surrounded by lush greenery and flowers, looking wistfully at other animals playing together in the distance.
• The bunny encounters a new animal friend, perhaps a lost squirrel or a curious bird, who wanders into her garden.
• Initially hesitant, the bunny observes the visitor from afar, curious but unsure how to approach them.
• Illustration: Show the bunny peeking out from behind a bush, watching the visitor with wide eyes, while the visitor looks back with a friendly expression.
• Through a series of gentle interactions and shared experiences, the bunny and the visitor gradually bond.
• They discover common interests, such as a love for nature and a fondness for carrots.
• Illustration: Show the bunny and the visitor exploring the garden together, perhaps digging in the soil or nibbling on carrots side by side.
• The friendship faces challenges when the bunny’s new friend must return to their own home or face a difficult situation.
• The bunny must summon the courage to say goodbye or find a way to help her friend, demonstrating her growth and resilience.
• Illustration: Depict a moment of farewell between the bunny and her friend, perhaps with a tearful hug or a solemn exchange of gifts.
• The bunny learns valuable lessons about empathy, kindness, and the importance of reaching out to others.
• Though sad to see her friend go, the bunny feels grateful for the connection they shared and looks forward to future adventures with newfound confidence.
• Illustration: Show the bunny standing tall and smiling as she waves goodbye to her friend, surrounded by blooming flowers and a sense of peaceful acceptance.

By outlining your story with notes on illustrations, you’ll ensure that the visual elements of your picture book complement and enhance the narrative, creating a rich and immersive reading experience for young audiences.

The narrative style of your picture book sets the tone and structure of your story, influencing how it will be told and perceived by young readers. Selecting the right narrative style involves considering factors such as the age of your target audience, the complexity of your storyline, and the overall mood you wish to convey.

Let’s continue with our example of the shy bunny protagonist and explore different narrative styles that could suit this story:

• Third-Person: In this narrative style, the story is told from an external perspective, focusing on the thoughts and feelings of the main character, the shy bunny. Using third-person allows for a deeper exploration of the bunny’s internal struggles and growth while maintaining a sense of distance from other characters.
• First-Person: Alternatively, you could opt for a first-person narrative style, where the shy bunny herself narrates the story. This approach provides a direct and intimate connection with the protagonist, allowing readers to experience her emotions and experiences firsthand. First-person narration can be particularly effective for engaging young readers and immersing them in the story’s world.
• Dialogue-Driven: Another option is to structure the story around dialogue between characters, with minimal narration. This dialogue-driven approach creates a dynamic and interactive reading experience, allowing young readers to actively engage with the characters and their interactions. Dialogue can also convey emotions and character dynamics in a natural and engaging manner.
• Narrative Poem: For a more lyrical and poetic narrative style, you could explore writing the story as a narrative poem. Using rhythmic language and vivid imagery, a narrative poem can evoke a sense of magic and wonder, drawing readers into the enchanting world of the shy bunny and her adventures.

When choosing a narrative style for your picture book, consider experimenting with different approaches to see which best suits your story and resonates with your target audience. Ultimately, the goal is to create a narrative that captivates young readers and leaves a lasting impression.

With your ideas, characters, and outline in place, it’s time to start writing the first draft of your picture book. This initial draft serves as the foundation upon which you’ll build and refine your story, so don’t worry about perfection at this stage. The focus is on getting your ideas down on paper and bringing your story to life.

Continuing with our example of the shy bunny protagonist, let’s begin writing the first draft of her story. Using the outline we created earlier as a guide, we’ll flesh out each plot point and scene, keeping in mind the narrative style and tone we’ve chosen.

Once upon a time, in a quiet corner of the forest, there lived a shy bunny named Blossom. She spent her days tending to her garden, surrounded by bright flowers and lush greens. Despite the beauty of her surroundings, Blossom often felt lonely, watching from afar as other animals danced and played together. One sunny morning, as Blossom was tending to her carrots, she noticed a small squirrel peeking out from behind a tree. Curious, Blossom slowly approached the squirrel, offering a friendly smile. To Blossom’s surprise, the squirrel, named Nutmeg, was just as curious about her as she was about him. They talked and talked, mostly about their love for crunchy carrots, and spent the day exploring the garden together. As the sun began to set, Nutmeg said that he was lost and needed to find his way home. Blossom felt a pang of sadness at the thought of saying goodbye, but she knew she had to be brave for her new friend. With a heavy heart, Blossom said goodbye to Nutmeg, promising to keep the memories they had shared. As she watched him disappear into the forest, she felt a sense of warmth and happiness for the friendship they had.

As you write the first draft of your picture book, focus on capturing the essence of your story and characters while allowing room for creativity and spontaneity. Remember, you can always revise and refine your draft in the editing stage, so let your imagination soar as you bring your picture book to life on the page.

Once you’ve completed the first draft of your picture book, it’s time to step back and take a critical look at your work. Editing and refining your manuscript is a crucial part of the writing process, helping you polish your story and ensure that it resonates with your target audience.

Let’s revisit our example from the previous step and explore how we can edit and refine the first draft to enhance its clarity, coherence, and emotional impact.

• Review for Clarity: Read through your manuscript with fresh eyes, paying attention to the clarity of your language and the flow of your narrative. Are there any confusing or ambiguous passages that need clarification? Make revisions to ensure that your story is easy to follow and understand, especially for your young audience.
• Refine Character Development: Evaluate the depth and complexity of your characters, particularly the protagonist, Blossom the shy bunny. Does she undergo a meaningful transformation throughout the story? Are her actions and motivations consistent with her personality and growth arc? Fine-tune your characterisation to create relatable and multi-dimensional characters that young readers can connect with.
• Polish Dialogue and Language: Review the dialogue in your manuscript to ensure that it sounds natural and age-appropriate for your target audience. Aim for dialogue that reflects the unique voices and personalities of your characters while avoiding overly complex language or adult-centric expressions. Additionally, pay attention to the rhythm and pacing of your prose, striving for a balance between descriptive passages and engaging dialogue.
• Streamline Plot and Structure: Evaluate the pacing and structure of your story, paying attention to the balance between exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution. Are there any unnecessary scenes or digressions that could be trimmed to streamline the plot? Look for opportunities to heighten tension and suspense, keeping young readers eagerly turning the pages from start to finish.

By carefully editing and refining your picture book manuscript, you’ll ensure that it shines brightly and captivates young readers with its charm, warmth, and imagination.

Choosing the right title for your picture book is essential as it serves as the first point of connection between your story and potential readers. A compelling title can pique curiosity, convey the theme or mood of your book, and capture the attention of your target audience.

Let’s consider our shy bunny example and explore how we can craft a suitable title that encapsulates the essence of the story:

• Title Option 1: Blossom’s Brave Journey

This title highlights the protagonist, Blossom the shy bunny, and emphasises her journey of overcoming shyness and embarking on an adventure. The word “brave” conveys the courage and resilience Blossom demonstrates throughout the story, while “journey” hints at the transformative nature of her experiences.

• Title Option 2: Carrots and Friendship

Focusing on key elements of the story, this title highlights the themes of friendship and shared experiences. The mention of “carrots” reflects the bond that Blossom and her new friend Nutmeg form over their love for crunchy vegetables, while “friendship” underscores the central theme of forging connections with others.

• Title Option 3: Blossom Finds a Friend

This straightforward title succinctly captures the heartwarming essence of the story: a shy bunny named Blossom who discovers the joy of friendship. The phrase “finds a friend” conveys the journey of connection and companionship that Blossom embarks on, appealing to young readers’ curiosity and empathy.

When choosing a title for your picture book, consider the themes, characters, and tone of your story, as well as the preferences of your target audience. Experiment with different options, and don’t be afraid to seek feedback from friends, family, or writing peers to help you find the perfect title that will enchant and intrigue readers.

Creating a dummy book is an essential step in the picture book writing process, allowing you to visualise and organise the layout of your story. A dummy book is a mock-up of your picture book that includes rough sketches or placeholders for illustrations, text layout, and page design.

Let’s continue with our example and explore how to create a dummy book for this story:

• Gather Materials: Start by gathering materials such as blank paper, pencils, erasers, and a ruler. You’ll use these supplies to sketch out the layout of your dummy book.
• Sketch Thumbnails: Begin by creating thumbnail sketches of each page spread in your picture book. These small, rough drawings will help you visualise the composition and flow of your illustrations. Focus on capturing the key moments and scenes from your story, paying attention to pacing and page turns.
• Design Page Layout: Once you have your thumbnail sketches, use them to plan the layout of each page spread in your dummy book. Consider factors such as text placement, illustration size, and white space. Experiment with different arrangements to find the most visually appealing and reader-friendly layout.
• Add Text and Illustrations: With the page layout in place, add placeholders for text and illustrations to your dummy book. You can use handwritten text or printed text from your manuscript, along with simple sketches or stick figures to represent illustrations. Focus on conveying the narrative flow and visual storytelling of your picture book.
• Assemble the Dummy Book: Arrange your pages in sequence and secure them together to create your dummy book. You can use a binder, paper clips, or string to hold the pages together. Make sure the pages are easy to flip through and that the layout accurately reflects the pacing and structure of your story.
• Review and Revise: Once you’ve assembled your dummy book, review it carefully to identify any areas that need revision or refinement. Pay attention to the overall flow of the story, the balance between text and illustrations, and the coherence of the page layout. Make adjustments as needed to ensure that your dummy book accurately represents your vision for the final picture book.

By creating a dummy book, you’ll gain valuable insights into the visual and structural elements of your picture book, helping you refine your story and prepare it for the next stages of the publishing process.

Formatting your picture book involves arranging the text and illustrations in a way that enhances the reading experience and ensures visual coherence. Paying attention to formatting details such as page size, font choice, and text placement is essential for creating a professional-looking final product.

Let’s continue with our example of “Blossom Finds a Friend” and explore how to format the book for publication:

• Page Size and Layout: Determine the dimensions of your picture book, taking into account industry standards and printing specifications. Common picture book sizes include 8.5 x 8.5 inches or 10 x 10 inches. Choose a size that complements your illustrations and allows for easy readability.
• Text Placement: Decide on the placement of text within each page spread. Aim for a balance between text and illustrations, ensuring that the two elements complement each other and work together to tell the story. Experiment with different text arrangements, such as placing text above, below, or alongside illustrations, to find the most visually appealing layout.
• Font Choice and Styling: Select a suitable font for the text in your picture book, keeping in mind readability and aesthetic considerations. Choose a clear, legible font that aligns with the tone and style of your story. Consider factors such as font size, style (e.g., serif or sans-serif), and colour to enhance readability and visual appeal.
• Page Numbers and Pagination: Determine how you will handle page numbering and pagination in your picture book. Decide whether to include page numbers, and if so, where to place them within the layout. Considerations such as page breaks, chapter divisions, and endpapers should also be taken into account to ensure a seamless reading experience.
• Illustration Placement: Integrate illustrations seamlessly into the layout of your picture book, ensuring that they enhance the storytelling and capture the reader’s attention. Pay attention to the positioning and size of illustrations relative to the text, allowing for ample space and visual impact.
• Consistency and Cohesion: Maintain consistency throughout your picture book by adhering to a cohesive design aesthetic. Ensure that fonts, colours, and formatting elements remain consistent across all pages, creating a unified look and feel. Pay attention to details such as margins, line spacing, and alignment to achieve a polished and professional appearance.

By carefully formatting your picture book, you’ll create a visually engaging and cohesive reading experience that captivates young readers and brings your story to life.

Illustrations play a vital role in bringing your picture book to life, capturing the imagination of young readers and enhancing the storytelling experience. Whether you’re an illustrator yourself or collaborating with a professional artist, creating compelling and engaging illustrations is essential for captivating your audience.

There are several technical considerations to keep in mind when illustrating a picture book:

• Visualising Characters: Work with your illustrator to develop visually appealing and expressive character designs that reflect the personalities and emotions of your characters. For example, the shy bunny protagonist, Blossom, could be depicted with soft, rounded features and wide, expressive eyes to convey her gentle nature and timid disposition.
• Promoting Engagement: Incorporate interactive and engaging elements into your illustrations to capture the attention and imagination of young readers. For example, hidden details, interactive flaps, or playful visual motifs can encourage children to actively engage with the story and explore the illustrations more deeply.
• Page Size and Bleed: Ensure that your illustrations are sized appropriately for the dimensions of the book’s pages. Additionally, if your illustrations extend to the edge of the page (full bleed), you’ll need to include extra space around the edges to accommodate trimming during printing.
• Resolution: Illustrations should be created at a high resolution (usually 300 dpi or higher) to ensure crisp and clear printing. This is especially important for detailed artwork and images with fine lines or small details.
• Colour Mode: Use the appropriate colour mode for your illustrations. For print books, illustrations are typically created in CMYK colour mode to accurately represent colours when printed. If your illustrations are intended for digital distribution, RGB colour mode may be more suitable.
• File Format: Save your illustrations in a suitable file format for printing, such as TIFF or PSD for high-resolution images with layers, or JPEG for flattened images. Be sure to check the publisher’s specifications for preferred file formats.
• Text Placement: Leave space within your illustrations for text placement, especially if your illustrations include background elements or focal points where text will be overlaid. Consider how the text will interact with the illustrations and ensure that important visual elements are not obscured.
• Consistency: Maintain consistency in style, colour palette, and artistic elements throughout your illustrations to create a cohesive visual experience. This helps tie the illustrations together and reinforces the story’s themes and mood.
• Page Turns: Keep in mind the pacing and flow of the story when planning your illustrations. Consider how each page turn will reveal new information or advance the plot, and create illustrations that enhance the narrative tension and engagement.
• Accessibility: Ensure that your illustrations are accessible to all readers, including those with visual impairments. Avoid relying solely on visual cues to convey important information, and consider including descriptive text or alternative formats (e.g., braille) where appropriate.

By investing time and effort into creating captivating illustrations, you’ll create a visually stunning picture book that delights and inspires young readers, inviting them to embark on an enchanting journey of imagination and discovery.

The book cover is often the first thing readers see, making it a crucial element in attracting attention and conveying the essence of your picture book. A well-designed cover should intrigue readers, reflect the tone of your story, and entice them to pick up your book.

Let’s continue with our example of  “Blossom Finds a Friend”  and explore how to design an eye-catching cover for this picture book:

• Example: The title “Blossom Finds a Friend” is written in bold, playful lettering, with the author’s name, “Jane Doe”, placed below in a smaller font. Both elements stand out against a background of lush garden foliage, drawing the reader’s attention.
• Example: The cover features a charming illustration of Blossom the shy bunny peeking out from behind a bush, her eyes wide with curiosity as she gazes at the reader. In the background, colourful flowers and friendly woodland creatures add depth and visual interest to the scene.
• Example: The cover incorporates a bright and cheerful colour palette, with shades of green, pink, and blue dominating the background. These colours evoke the beauty and tranquillity of a garden setting, while also conveying a sense of joy and optimism.
• Example: The spine of the book displays the title and author name vertically, making it easy to identify when shelved alongside other books. The back cover includes a brief summary of the story, along with a small illustration of Blossom and her friends exploring the garden.

By carefully designing the book cover, you’ll create a captivating first impression that entices readers to pick up your picture book and embark on an enchanting journey with your characters.

Once you have completed the illustration process and made any necessary adjustments based on feedback, it’s time to update your dummy book to reflect the final layout and design of your picture book. This step ensures that the dummy book accurately represents the finished product before moving forward with publication.

Continuing with our example of “Blossom Finds a Friend” let’s explore how to update the dummy book with the final illustrations and design elements:

• Example: In the first dummy book, placeholder sketches were used to represent each page spread. Now, the final illustrations of Blossom the shy bunny and her garden adventures are added to the appropriate pages, bringing the story to life with vibrant colours and engaging details.
• Example: The text is carefully integrated into each page spread, with attention to text placement, font choice, and spacing. Captions and dialogue bubbles are added where appropriate, enhancing the storytelling and guiding the reader through the narrative.
• Example: The updated dummy book PDF is reviewed to ensure that the illustrations and text flow smoothly from one page to the next, capturing the reader’s attention and maintaining their interest throughout the story. Any inconsistencies or discrepancies are addressed to achieve a polished and professional final product.

By updating the dummy book with the final illustrations and design elements, you’ll have a clear representation of how your picture book will look and feel in its printed form. This step is crucial for ensuring that the final product meets your vision and expectations before proceeding to the next stage of publication.

Seeking feedback from others is a crucial step in the picture book writing process. Feedback helps you identify strengths and weaknesses in your story, gain new perspectives, and refine your manuscript to ensure it resonates with your target audience.

Continuing with our example of “Blossom Finds a Friend” let’s explore how seeking feedback can improve the quality of your picture book:

• Example: You provide copies of your picture book to a group of parents and their children for feedback. After reading the story together, the parents comment on the relatable themes and positive messages, while the children express excitement about the colourful illustrations and engaging characters.
• Example: You share your book with fellow writers in a picture book writing workshop. During a critique session, your peers offer suggestions for strengthening character motivations and tightening the pacing of the story. Their feedback helps you identify areas for improvement and revision.
• Example: You work with a children’s book editor who provides detailed feedback on your manuscript, including suggestions for enhancing dialogue, clarifying story arcs, and refining the emotional resonance of the narrative. Their expertise and insights help you elevate the quality of your picture book to industry standards.
• Example: You post a query about your picture book on an online writing forum for children’s authors. Within hours, you receive valuable feedback from writers, illustrators, and publishing professionals who offer insights into character development, plot pacing, and marketability.

By seeking feedback from a variety of sources, you’ll gain valuable insights into your picture book manuscript and identify opportunities for improvement. Embrace feedback as a valuable tool for honing your craft and creating a picture book that resonates with readers of all ages.

During the final polish stage, you’ll meticulously review and fine-tune every aspect of your picture book to ensure it’s polished, professional, and ready for publication. This step involves a comprehensive examination of the manuscript, illustrations, design elements, and overall presentation.

Let’s continue with our example of “Blossom Finds a Friend” and explore how to apply the final polish to your picture book:

• Example: You carefully review the book “Blossom Finds a Friend” paying close attention to sentence structure, word choice, and dialogue. You eliminate any redundant phrases, tighten up the prose, and ensure that the language is accessible and age-appropriate for your target audience.
• Example: You scrutinise the illustrations of Blossom and her garden adventures, checking for consistency in character design, background details, and artistic style. You adjust colours, refine linework, and add subtle details to enhance visual interest and reinforce the story’s themes.
• Example: You review the layout of “Blossom Finds a Friend” checking for alignment, spacing, and font consistency. You adjust page breaks, text formatting, and illustration placement to create a cohesive and visually appealing presentation that complements the narrative.
• Example: You enlist the assistance of a professional proofreader to review the final draft of “Blossom Finds a Friend”. Together, you meticulously comb through every page, checking for spelling errors, formatting inconsistencies, and layout issues. After thorough proofreading and quality assurance, you’re confident that the picture book is polished and ready for publication.

By applying the final polish to your picture book, you’ll ensure that it meets the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship. Take the time to review and refine every aspect of your book, leaving no detail overlooked. Your dedication to excellence will shine through in the finished product, delighting readers of all ages.

After months of hard work and dedication, it’s time to bring your picture book to life by publishing it and sharing it with the world. Publishing your book involves making decisions about printing, distribution, and marketing to ensure that it reaches your target audience and achieves success.

Let’s continue with our example of “Blossom Finds a Friend” and explore the process of publishing your picture book:

• Example: You opt for self-publishing “Blossom Finds a Friend” to maintain creative control and have the flexibility to bring your vision to life without the constraints of traditional publishing timelines.
• Example: You partner with a reputable printing company that specialises in children’s books and offers high-quality printing services at affordable rates. You collaborate closely with the printing team to ensure that the final product meets your expectations and aligns with your vision for the book.
• Example: You establish distribution channels for “Blossom Finds a Friend” by listing it for sale on major online platforms such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores. You also partner with local libraries and schools to make the book available to young readers in your community.
• Example: You launch a comprehensive marketing campaign for “Blossom Finds a Friend” including social media posts, blog tours, and virtual author events. You collaborate with influencers, parenting bloggers, and children’s book reviewers to generate excitement and positive word-of-mouth buzz about the book.

By publishing your picture book, you’ll share your creativity and storytelling with the world, bringing joy and inspiration to young readers everywhere. Embrace the journey of publication with enthusiasm and confidence, knowing that your hard work and dedication have led to this exciting milestone.

Looking for some additional resources on how to write a picture book? See the books below for more guidance and ideas (The links below are Amazon affiliate links):

• How to Write a Children’s Picture Book and Get it Published :

• Writing Picture Books: : A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication

Celebrating the completion of your picture book is an essential part of the creative process. It’s a moment to acknowledge your hard work, perseverance, and accomplishments as a writer and creator. Take time to revel in your success and commemorate the journey that led to the publication of your book.

Let’s continue with our example of “Blossom Finds a Friend” and explore ways to celebrate the completion of your picture book:

• Example: You host a book launch party for “Blossom Finds a Friend” at a local bookstore or community centre. You decorate the venue with colourful garden-themed decorations and provide snacks and drinks for guests to enjoy. You read excerpts from the book, sign copies for attendees, and mingle with readers to share your excitement.
• Example: You announce the release of “Blossom Finds a Friend” on your social media accounts, accompanied by eye-catching graphics and behind-the-scenes photos from the book’s creation process. You express heartfelt thanks to your followers, friends, and collaborators for their encouragement and support.
• Example: You treat yourself to a weekend getaway to a tranquil countryside retreat, where you can unwind, recharge, and reflect on your creative journey. Surrounded by nature and serenity, you savour the moment and revel in the sense of accomplishment that comes from bringing your picture book to life.
• Example: You journal about your experiences writing and publishing “Blossom Finds a Friend” capturing memories, insights, and reflections on the journey. You express gratitude for the opportunity to share your story with the world and celebrate the transformative power of storytelling.

By celebrating the completion of your picture book, you honour the effort and dedication you invested in bringing your vision to life. Embrace this moment of triumph and look forward to the exciting adventures that lie ahead as an author and creator.

Frequently Asked Questions

While there’s no one-size-fits-all structure for picture books, several common formats offer a solid foundation for your storytelling. Here are a few popular approaches:

• Beginning: Introduce your characters, setting, and the initial problem or challenge.
• Middle: Show your characters’ attempts to solve the problem, facing obstacles and setbacks along the way.
• End: Resolve the conflict or challenge, leaving the reader with a satisfying conclusion and takeaway.
• Introduce: Present the character, their world, and the problem they encounter.
• Attempts: Show the character’s multiple attempts to solve the problem, emphasizing their resilience and growth.
• Solution: Reveal the successful solution, showcasing the character’s learning and development.
• Departure: Show the character leaving their familiar setting or comfort zone.
• Challenges: Depict the obstacles and trials they face on their journey, highlighting their struggles and growth.
• Return: Showcase the character’s return, transformed by their experiences and carrying valuable lessons.
• Introduce: Present the initial element or situation.
• Additions: Gradually add new elements or characters, building on the previous ones.
• Resolution: Conclude with a satisfying payoff or twist that ties everything together.

These are just starting points. Feel free to adapt, combine, or invent your own structure based on your unique story and target audience.

Writing your first picture book can be an exciting and rewarding journey! Here are some steps to help you get started:

• Define Your Story Idea: Begin by brainstorming ideas for your picture book. Think about what themes or messages you want to explore, as well as the characters and setting you’d like to create.
• Develop Your Characters: Create memorable characters that will capture the imaginations of young readers. Consider their personalities, motivations, and arcs throughout the story.
• Outline Your Story: Once you have a clear idea of your characters and plot, outline the main events of your story. Determine the beginning, middle, and end, and identify key moments that will drive the narrative forward.
• Choose a Narrative Style: Decide on the narrative style that best suits your story. Picture books often use simple language and concise storytelling to engage young readers.
• Write the First Draft: Start writing your first draft, focusing on capturing the essence of your story and characters. Don’t worry too much about perfection at this stage—just get your ideas down on paper.
• Edit and Revise: Once you’ve completed your first draft, take time to revise and refine your manuscript. Pay attention to pacing, language, and clarity, and make any necessary changes to strengthen the story.
• Consider Illustrations: Picture books are a visual medium, so consider how your story will be enhanced by illustrations. You can either create your own illustrations or work with an illustrator to bring your story to life.
• Design Your Book: Think about the layout and design of your book, including the placement of text and illustrations on each page. Consider how the design will enhance the reading experience for young children.
• Seek Feedback: Once you have a polished draft of your picture book, seek feedback from trusted friends, family, or writing groups. Their input can help you identify areas for improvement and make your story even stronger.
• Finalize and Publish: After incorporating feedback and making final revisions, you’re ready to finalize your picture book and consider publishing options. Whether you choose traditional publishing or self-publishing, be sure to research your options and find the best fit for your book.

Remember, writing a picture book is a creative process, so don’t be afraid to experiment, take risks, and have fun along the way. With dedication and perseverance, you can bring your story to life and share it with young readers around the world.

The amount of money you can make from writing a picture book can vary widely depending on several factors, including the success of your book, your publishing arrangement, and your marketing efforts. Here are some potential sources of income from writing a picture book:

• Advance : If you’re traditionally published, you may receive an advance payment from your publisher. This advance is typically paid out in stages, such as upon signing the contract, upon delivery of the manuscript, and upon publication. Advances can range from a few hundred to several thousand pounds, depending on factors such as your publishing track record and the perceived marketability of your book.
• Royalties : In addition to an advance, authors typically earn royalties on sales of their books. Royalty rates vary depending on your contract and the format of the book (e.g., hardcover, paperback, e-book). Traditionally published authors typically earn royalties ranging from 5% to 15% of the book’s retail price. Self-published authors may earn higher royalty rates but are responsible for all production and marketing costs.
• Additional Rights Sales: Authors may also earn income from additional rights sales, such as foreign translation rights, audio rights, and merchandising rights. These rights can be licensed to other publishers or companies for a fee or a percentage of sales.
• Public Performance Rights: Authors may earn income from public performance rights if their book is adapted into other formats, such as a stage play, puppet show, or animated film. Public performance rights allow for the public performance or display of copyrighted works and can result in licensing fees or royalties.
• Author Visits and Speaking Engagements: Authors may supplement their income by conducting author visits and speaking engagements at schools, libraries, bookstores, and literary events. These appearances can generate additional income through honorariums, book sales, and merchandise sales.
• Merchandise Sales: Authors may also earn income from the sale of merchandise related to their book, such as T-shirts, posters, bookmarks, and other branded items. These sales can be conducted online or through book signings and events.

It’s important to note that while some picture book authors achieve significant financial success, many authors earn modest incomes from their writing. Success in the publishing industry often requires a combination of talent, persistence, and luck, as well as a willingness to adapt to changes in the market and industry trends. Additionally, income from writing can vary from year to year based on factors such as book sales, advances, and additional rights sales.

Writing a picture book can present its own set of challenges, but whether it’s “hard” can depend on various factors, including your familiarity with the genre, your writing experience, and your ability to craft a compelling story within the constraints of the format. Here are some factors to consider:

• Simplicity : Picture books are typically short, with limited word counts, so you must convey your story concisely and effectively. This can be challenging as you need to convey complex themes or ideas in a simple and accessible way.
• Visual Narrative: Picture books are a collaboration between words and illustrations, so you need to leave room for the illustrations to complement and enhance the text. Balancing text and visuals can be challenging, especially if you’re not an illustrator yourself.
• Audience Considerations: Picture books are primarily written for young children, so you need to understand your target audience and craft a story that engages and entertains them. This might require thinking about themes, language, and story structure from a child’s perspective.
• Story Structure: Even though picture books are short, they still require a well-developed plot, engaging characters, and a satisfying resolution. Crafting a compelling story within a limited space can be challenging and may require careful planning and revision.
• Market Competition: The market for picture books is highly competitive, with many talented authors vying for limited shelf space. Standing out in the crowded market can be challenging, especially for new and aspiring authors.

That being said, many writers find writing picture books to be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Picture books have the power to inspire, educate, and entertain young readers, and seeing your book come to life can be incredibly gratifying. With dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to learn and grow as a writer, you can overcome the challenges and write a picture book that captivates readers of all ages.

Embarking on the journey of writing a picture book is an adventure filled with creativity, imagination, and endless possibilities. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a novice storyteller, the process of bringing your vision to life on the pages of a picture book is both challenging and immensely rewarding. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to embark on your own picture book journey and create stories that captivate and inspire young readers. 

And that wraps up our 18-step guide to writing your first picture book! I hope these tips help you bring your imaginative story to life for young readers. Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions on how to write a picture book – I’d love to hear from you!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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The Importance of Picture Books

On the benefits of reading to children and even babies..

Posted August 12, 2019 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

It probably won’t come as news to you that reading to children carries with it a lot of benefits, such as promoting language comprehension and literacy. According to 2016 statistics from Scholastic , 62% of parents with kids aged 3 to 5 read to their children most days, and most kids say that they like or love this special time with their parents. While reading to preschool-aged kids has clear and perhaps obvious benefits, there is evidence that reading to infants is also important, even reading to newborns.

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that parents should begin reading to infants as soon as possible (High et al., 2014). This recommendation is based on classic research showing that children whose parents talk to them more have an advantage in school over children whose parents talk to them less (Hart & Risley, 1995).

The key difference seems to lie in the number of words children are exposed to when parents speak to them aloud. This advantage is evident by the time children are two years old; children at this age who are spoken to more by their parents at 18 months understand and produce more words at age 2 (Hurtado, Marchman, & Fernald, 2008).

Further, besides talking to children, reading to them aloud also likely exposes children to new and different words that parents don’t often use regularly in everyday speech. Along these lines, studies have shown that the number of words infants produce and understand is predicted by how much they are read to (e.g., Robb, Richert, Wartella, 2009).

Besides benefits for word exposure, there is also evidence that babies can learn specific content from books, which can begin even before a baby is born. In fact, researchers have found that babies can learn the rhythm of a specific storybook in the third trimester of pregnancy .

To test this possibility, researchers asked women who were 7 months pregnant to read The Cat in the Hat to their bellies twice a day until the end of their pregnancies. When these babies were born, they preferred hearing The Cat in the Hat to other stories.

How do we know? The clever researchers hooked up a pacifier to two speakers, and programmed it so that when an infant sucked quickly, one story would play, and when an infant sucked slowly, a different story would play. The babies figured out quickly that they were controlling the scenario and sucked in a way that specifically produced The Cat in the Hat —the story they heard repeatedly in the womb (DeCasper & Spence, 1987). These babies weren’t learning the words in the story per se; they were just responding to the rhythm of the familiar tale, and preferred hearing it over similar narrations.

Infants can start learning specific words from stories shortly after their first birthday. After hearing a new object name in a picture book, babies aged 15 to 18 months are able to transfer that new name to a real object, and even to drawings of the object (Ganea, Pickard, & DeLoache, 2008). A little later, infants can learn new actions from a book as well.

In one study, researchers presented 18- to 30-month-old infants with a book that demonstrated how to put several objects together to make something new. After the storybook reading, the infants were able to learn how to successfully assemble several parts of a rattle and imitate specific movements, demonstrating that before the age of 2, infants can learn both words and actions from short and simple storybook interactions (Simcock & DeLoache, 2006).

Besides words and actions, by preschool age, children can learn pretty sophisticated information from storybooks. For example, one study reported that a short story book can teach children about camouflage in animals. In the study, 3- and 4-year-olds were read a story about how camouflage in animals can help them hide from dangerous predators. Later when asked about which animals a hungry bird might eat, children were able to deduce that a brown camouflaged lizard would be hidden from the bird, while his brightly colored friend would be more likely to get eaten (Ganea, Ma, & DeLoache, 2011).

Slightly older children can even learn about natural selection and evolution from a simple storybook. In one study, 5- and 6-year-olds were introduced to fictional animals called the Piloses that evolved skinny noses. Over the course of the book, children were provided with a detailed description about how the Piloses slowly changed over the course of many generations. After the book reading, both younger and older children learned that adaptation involves an extended process that results in different rates of survival and reproduction. They were even able to recall this information 3 months later and apply it to a new species (Kelemen, Emmons, Seston Schillaci, & Ganea, 2014; note, you can actually purchase this book online ).

Altogether, simple storybooks have the power to teach infants and children new words, actions, and even more complex scientific concepts like camouflage and evolution. Note that these books were all designed to read like storybooks—not like educational books that children get in school—and children’s interactions with these books were very brief. Yet children still learned from them.

Besides learning, reading to infants and children can have other benefits too. A mother’s voice is familiar and comforting, even to newborns, so reading a book every night can help establish a calming and consistent sleep routine. Reading storybooks can also potentially foster an early interest in reading before children reach school age. Perhaps most importantly, reading together is a time that parents can spend with their kids doing something they both enjoy and comes with the added bonus of educational and personal benefits that can endure for years.

DeCasper, A. J., & Spence, M. J. (1987). Prenatal maternal speech influences newborns’ perception of speech sounds. Annual progress in child psychiatry and child development, 5-25.

Ganea, P. A., Ma, L., & DeLoache, J. S. (2011). Young children’s learning and transfer of biological information from picture books to real animals. Child Development, 82(5), 1421-1433.

Ganea, P. A., Pickard, M. B., & DeLoache, J. S. (2008). Transfer between picture books and the real world by very young children. Journal of Cognition and Development, 9(1), 46-66.

Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Paul H Brookes Publishing.

High, P. C., Klass, P., Donoghue, E., Glassy, D., DelConte, B., Earls, M., ... & Schulte, E. E. (2014). Literacy promotion: an essential component of primary care pediatric practice. Pediatrics, 134(2), 404-409.

Hurtado, N., Marchman, V. A., & Fernald, A. (2008). Does input influence uptake? Links between maternal talk, processing speed and vocabulary size in Spanish‐learning children. Developmental science, 11(6), F31-F39.

Kelemen, D., Emmons, N. A., Seston Schillaci, R., & Ganea, P. A. (2014). Young children can be taught basic natural selection using a picture-storybook intervention. Psychological science, 25(4), 893-902.

Robb, M. B., Richert, R. A., & Wartella, E. A. (2009). Just a talking book? Word learning from watching baby videos. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 27(1), 27-45.

Simcock, G., & DeLoache, J. (2006). Get the picture? The effects of iconicity on toddlers' reenactment from picture books. Developmental Psychology, 42(6), 1352-1357.

Vanessa LoBue, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Rutgers University-Newark.

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Children's author, what are picture books.

Children’s author Mem Fox says of reading picture books, “As we share the words and pictures, the ideas and viewpoints, the rhythms and rhymes, the pain and comfort, and the hopes and fears and big issues of life that we encounter together in the pages of a book, we connect through minds and hearts with our children and bond in a secret society associated with the books we have shared. The fire of literacy is created by the emotional sparks between a child, a book and the person reading.”

Yes! Picture books spark the fire of literacy. They’re importance in the life of a child cannot be understated. But when someone begins thinking about writing a picture book, there are some basic considerations about the genre that are important to understand. That’s what this post is about…

What is a Picture Book?

Picture books are books in which words and pictures tell the story or concept. Unlike most other book forms, a child must look at the art and listen to the words to follow the story (except for wordless picture books, which would only require looking). The typical picture book audience is 2-8 years old, but there are also longer picture books written for even slightly older audiences (readers of older picture books can typically read the text themselves).   

A picture book usually tells the story with a 50-50 balance of words and pictures (although there are exceptions). This is critical to understand as a picture book writer because you must “think in pictures” and consider the potential artwork as you write. Author Anastasia Suen, in her book, Picture Writing , discusses how writers first see a story as pictures in our minds; then translate those images into words on the page. I completely agree! The trick (especially for non-illustrating picture book writers) is to keep considering those images as we write, envisioning what might appear on the page, so we don’t “over tell” the story with unnecessary details. I personally think this is one of the hardest aspects of picture book writing to achieve—the ability to “see” the art as we write and consider how the art can help tell the story. 

Last, the picture book length ranges from zero to 1500 words or so, although current editorial needs indicate the ideal length to be around 500 words (or less!). If you’re writing a book for a younger audience (ages 2-5); then 500 words or less works best. If you’re writing for an older audience (ages 4-8); then aim for 500-800 words. And if you’re writing for a much older audience (ages 8-10, typically nonfiction); then aim for 800-1500 words. Note: these are not rules, but good guidelines to follow! 

Types of Picture Books

Picture books can fall into one of two very broad categories: fiction and nonfiction. What topics are covered within these two spectrums? Everything! You could write either of these types of books in prose or verse, covering a vast range of topics from a lost duckling to the first day of kindergarten to being homeless. The possibilities are virtually limitless. But for folks who like lists, here the most common types of picture books:

Fiction: These stories typically feature a character who faces some sort of obstacle to overcome in order to get what he/she wants, often using the classic 3-Act story structure. Within the fiction realm, there are various types of stories that exist, from fairy tales to contemporary stories. A classic example is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

Nonfiction: Nonfiction books are based upon facts. These include biographies, how-to’s, narrative nonfiction (which uses traditional story-telling elements), expository (books that explain things), or photo-essays. Some examples are You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer! by Shana Corey (biography), See What a Seal Can Do by Chris Butterworth (expository), All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon (narrative nonfiction). An excellent website to learn more on the topic is Melissa Stewart’s Celebrate Science .

Concept: These books (either fiction or nonfiction) introduce children to an idea, concept or theme such as the alphabet, counting, colors or shapes. They sometimes tell a story using a character or can be a simple straightforward concept. A classic example of a straightforward concept book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr. An example of a concept book that uses a character to drive the story (along with the alphabet) is Kelly Bingham’s Z is for Moose.

Poetry: Poetry picture books fall into three groups: poem collections written by a single author, anthologies (themed poems written by various authors), and a narrative story written in rhyme or some other poetic device. I should note that poetry is an extremely hard market to break into and writing in rhyme and meter are challenging (but rewarding!). Examples are Winter Friends by Mary Quattlebaum (single-poet collection), A Poke in the I compiled by Paul Janeczko (anthology), and Hummingbird Nest by Kristine O’Connell George (story told through poetry). An excellent online article about this is Dori Chaconas’s Ic ing on the Cake .  

Physical characteristics

Picture books also have common physical characteristics. Most are 32-pages long (this is due to how printing presses are set up) but variations occur (in 8-page increments, again, due to the printing press set-up). Picture books have parts to them:

Cover: The front of the book, which features eye-grabbing art along with the title, author and illustrator’s name.

Back cover: The back of the book, this sometimes features “sell copy” (a brief synopsis of the story), publisher information, a barcode, ISBN, and price.

Spine: This is the part that faces out when the book is shelved (it hides the book’s binding). It usually holds the title, author and illustrator last names and the publisher’s name or logo.

Endpapers: Perhaps the best definition of endpapers comes from L. R. Sipe who wrote, “These are the first pages one sees when opening the picture book and the last pages one sees at the end of the book before closing it. Endpapers are like stage curtains, framing the performance of a play.” You’ll notice that not all picture books have endpapers though. Paperback editions often lack them. Sometimes the endpapers are glued onto the front and back covers so they are not free to turn. In recent years, endpapers have been used in more creative ways, even being used to carry out the storyline.

Title page: This page gives the title, author, illustrator, and publisher.

Front matter: This page comes before the story text begins (some publishers put this page at the end of the book). It gives the publication information, including title, copyright, and table of contents, introduction, dedication, and other acknowledgements.

Pages: These are the papers on which the story and art is printed. Pages occur in increments of 8, usually with 32 pages.

Double-page spread: This term refers to an open, full page-spread of the book. Quite often, a double page-spread is used to show a single scene in a picture book. This is important for writers to know because it means that in a typical 32-page book, the writer needs at least 14-16 distinct scenes to tell the story .

Becoming Familiar Picture Book Writing

One of the best ways to familiarize yourself with the picture book genre is to read as many books as you can, but I always recommend taking it a step further. If you find a book that really speaks to you, where you say, “Yes! This is the way I want to write!” then I recommend typing out the text. Show where the page turns occur (leave a blank line or use some other marker).

Seeing a text typed out (sans illustrations) is one of the most informative exercises a picture book writer can do. It will SHOW you the sparsity of text, how an author uses the illustrations to help tell the story, and little description is needed when you have the assistance of pictures. I highly recommend it!

For more information on writing picture books, I recommend Ann Whitford Paul’s book, Writing Picture Books . If you’re ready to take a step further, UCLA Extension Writers’ Program offers a variety of on-campus and online courses on writing picture books.

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A writer explores the complexities of her interracial relationship

Nina Sharma contemplates the power of Black and Brown love in her essay collection “The Way You Make Me Feel.”

Shortly after George Floyd’s murder in 2020, The Washington Post ran a news story about interracial families attempting to explain his death to their children. “ A man was unjustly killed here ,” a White father recalls solemnly telling his biracial Black child.

But there was a gap in the coverage: “There are no interracial couples without a white partner” featured in The Post’s article, Nina Sharma observes in her new essay collection, “ The Way You Make Me Feel: Love in Black and Brown .” Drawing variously on personal reflections, pop culture and history, Sharma makes it her project to decenter Whiteness and highlight a love that has long been relegated to the shadows: that of Black and Brown couples.

Sharma, who is Indian American, is married to Quincy Scott Jones, a Black American educator and poet whom she met at a Fourth of July barbecue, as she recollects in the anthology’s title essay. They had, she writes, grown up just one hour from each other: Jones in a majority-Black suburb of New Jersey, Sharma in Edison, N.J., a town that’s now home to one of the largest concentrations of Indian Americans in the country.

In 16 essays spanning 300 pages, Sharma chronicles her relationship and places it in conversation with other Afro-Asian love stories. Among them are that of the Black-Indian couple at the center of Mira Nair’s 1991 film, “Mississippi Masala,” and the story of Vice President Harris’s parents. (Sharma refers to Harris as her “time-traveling daughter” while contemplating having children of her own.)

The sweeping but focused collection demonstrates Sharma’s commitment to exploring Afro-Asian intimacy in all its beauty and complexity. In one essay, she probes Donald Trump’s indictment of racial others and grapples with her immigrant father’s complicated adulation of the former president. Using “Mad Men” as a launchpad, Sharma incisively considers the “nothingness of whiteness”: the luxury White people are accorded to make “something out of nothing,” while Black and Brown stories are always expected to make a statement.

In the book’s standout essay, “Sacrifice,” Sharma meditates on her parents’ suggestion that Quincy shave off his dreadlocks before their wedding. She compares the sanctity of a Hindu head-shaving practice, called mundan, with the violence of shaving the hair of enslaved people. “Head shaving was one of the first acts of enslavement,” Sharma writes, recounting the history of Europeans and slave traders shaving heads as a way of “cutting from enslaved Africans all ties to their place and people, all known markers of identity.”

But Sharma doesn’t simply dismiss the sacrosanct Hindu practice of tonsuring; instead, she treads carefully to highlight its nuances and considers the opposing valences that head-shaving carries in Indian and Black communities. She extends her exploration of hair to Black women’s wigs and weaves, which sometimes source hair from India and China, often selling it to consumers as “true Indian hair.” In the essay’s conclusion, Sharma refuses to comfort readers; instead, she recalls her wedding, when her older sister complimented a Black guest’s hair. “I love your hair,” her sister said. “Well, you should,” the guest replied. “It’s yours.”

As such moments prove, Sharma’s debut is remarkable for its daring, how unafraid it is to eschew rosy visions of racial solidarity. She interrogates the ongoing anti-Blackness of her family, even after her marriage to Quincy, refusing to glaze the collection with the banal optimism that assumes all people of color have joined forces to avenge racism. As a case in point, Sharma reminds us of the complicity of the Palestinian American owner of the corner market outside which George Floyd was murdered, and that of the Hmong American police officer who stood watching.

Sharma brings the same candor to her own life and its unglamorous details: her multiple mental health hospitalizations, her persistent cheating on a college boyfriend, her struggle to quit smoking cigarettes. The prose is lush, if occasionally clichéd, such as when she describes a peck on the lips as an “unbearable lightness” and concludes the book by ruminating on the undefined nature of dividing zero by zero while approaching Exit 0 on a New Jersey highway.

Although that metaphor feels strained, its nod to life’s precarity is apt: “The Way You Make Me Feel” affirms that Black and Brown existence in America comes with no guarantee of collective solidarity, no innate promise of racial equality. The path to justice is uncertain, Sharma reminds us, and we must each work hard — and be bold enough to sacrifice our own comfort — to actualize it.

Meena Venkataramanan writes stories on identity, culture and Asian American communities for The Post.

The Way You Make Me Feel

Love in Black and Brown

By Nina Sharma

Penguin. 323 pp. $27

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The new book of jobs: How India Inc. is navigating through a changing work environment

• Byline: Krishna Gopalan
• Producer: Arnav Das Sharma

Companies are scrambling to meet the demands of the disruptive post-pandemic business environment. They are creating new functions even as they confront a huge change in the composition of the workforce

For the past two years, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has gone to business schools specifically looking for graduates inclined towards digital commerce. That’s nothing unusual, except that traditional sales and marketing functions have made way for new job descriptions. It indicates a changing India where many opportunities have forced companies regardless of size to look for talent but with a difference, and this comes forth in the BT -Taggd survey of The Best Companies to Work For in India this year. 

Just what is the change? Today’s talent—and there’s plenty of that in India—is looking for a new set of challenges and new-age roles. For them, a sales and marketing job is passé. For instance, HUL has created the position of e-commerce manager. Large FMCG companies see around 10% of their revenues in the digital age coming from e-commerce channels, and even the most conservative estimates suggest the number could touch 30% by the end of the decade. Besides, every company recognises the need to have a closer look at their business. That has led to the creation of new positions, with clear job descriptions.

“All this is in line with the change we are bringing about in each of our businesses,” says Anuradha Razdan, Executive Director (HR) and CHRO, HUL & Unilever South Asia. 

This process will test the mettle of the best companies as the workforce gets reoriented across levels.

“ At senior management levels, we are seeing a greater focus on reskilling with a robust understanding of tech. It is pushing them to focus a lot more on cognitive, EQ and leadership skills ” DEEPTI SAGAR Chief People and Experience Officer Deloitte India

Redefining Roles

This change is recent. Around a decade ago, any large organisation had a defined set of positions. There was a CFO, a CHRO, a CMO, a COO and, of course, a CEO. “Today, a Chief Data Officer or a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) are realities,” says Aditya Narayan Mishra, MD & CEO of recruitment and staffing services firm CIEL HR. Apart from talent wanting new-age roles, they also see the need to specialise in one area, he adds. 

Earlier, only a CTO would suffice; but in several companies there is a need for a CISO as well. “In a lot of industries, data protection is an important piece and a part of the overall boardroom agenda. A generalist may not fit the bill here in an age of such a specialised need,” explains Mishra. 

Speaking of new-age sectors—such as companies in the tech space—finance is a key role. Mishra points out that these firms tend to have a Chief Accounting Officer as well as a CFO. “For these companies, fundraising is a big part of their overall business. A CFO may be very good with a treasury function, but this is a very different requirement.” 

Likewise, a CHRO is now complemented by a Chief Talent Officer, who looks after the employer brand and areas related to talent management but will not oversee, say, issues related to payroll.

Digitisation has expedited the extent to which technology dominates business functions in a post-pandemic world. The consensus among experts is that what would have taken a decade to change, has happened in less than two years. The thrust on AI and its impact on our lives has been profound and the stage is set for an extremely dynamic future. 

Deepti Sagar, Chief People and Experience Officer at consultancy Deloitte India, says job profiles across levels at her organisation are being driven by technological disruptions, economic advances, and a progressive business ecosystem. 

“There are also macro trends like a heightened focus on ESG and an increasing proportion of Gen Z at work. All this means there is a significant shift in client demands and requirements from professional services,” she says. The result of this is a greater focus on newer job families and skills. “In the last 12-18 months, this has further been accelerated by the advent of Gen AI.”

“ For these [new-age tech] companies, fundraising is a big part of their overall business. A CFO may be very good with a treasury function, but this is a very different requirement ” ADITYA NARAYAN MISHRA MD & CEO CIEL HR

Time to Reorient

But one can’t just bet on tech disruption. For instance, in many industries it was believed that technology would supersede (and even replace) the conventional ways of doing business. But that has not been the case. For example, edtech flourished at one point, but once classrooms were back in vogue, its popularity waned. 

Mishra points out that large conglomerates like the Tata group, Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group, and the likes of Asian Paints and HUL struck up a healthy combination of both new-age and conventional methods of doing business. “The Tatas, for instance, launched Cliq and Neu, and even reoriented some of their older businesses like automobiles. However, it has been marked by judiciousness in investment at all levels.”

A new-age organisation needs people across levels to have a better understanding of the business. Bhavishya Sharma, MD of Athena Executive Search & Consulting, says a CFO, for instance, must necessarily grasp what social media is all about and its impact, without operating in a silo. The new B2C companies run on these fundamentals and that, over time, helps the more conventional businesses become more agile, he explains. 

“A large FMCG major today needs to look at its channel of distribution from the perspective of adding digitisation attributes. The reorientation is not only for the freshers off campus, but a reskilling across levels is the big theme.” He speaks of a large consumer company that his organisation works with where the requirement was to have a gamification of training for its blue-collar workers. “That was never the case before and it is an indication of how much things have changed.”

Deloitte’s Sagar highlights how at the entry level, jobs related to technology, AI, creativity, and sustainability are in demand. “At the mid- and senior management [levels], we are witnessing a greater focus on reskilling with a robust understanding of technology. It is pushing them to focus a lot more on cognitive, EQ (emotional quotient) and leadership skills to [get the] best out of the new generation and hone future leaders in an era of AI,” she explains.

For an organisation, a lot depends on where it is today and the industry it is in. While bifurcation of functions is very much the “done thing” today, a big development can radically change how the business is viewed. In that context, Sharma of Athena cites the example of, say, a conventional company on a steady growth path, being acquired by a private equity fund. “Suddenly, areas like cloud service and security become very critical. The company starts to invest in that and the composition of the workforce can look very different,” he says.

While the workforce is changing, where are we in terms of the change cycle? Ronesh Puri, MD of executive search firm Executive Access, says this is the beginning of a phase of much bigger changes. “The opportunities lie in the throes of multiple changes. In the next five years, we will see a transformation across businesses that will be more profound than what we saw over the last two decades.” 

That will happen because India is getting a lot of global attention and it being the fastest-growing major economy makes for a heady combination, he says. “The quantum of action has increased manifold across industries and we are still in second gear. For companies, the bet is on getting it right tomorrow and to make that possible, it needs to lay the foundation today.”

Puri says the need is for transformational leaders who have a clear vision of the future. “Companies are looking for talent with adaptability, humility, maturity, and confidence. The focus is on execution skills, people skills and the ability to look at the larger picture.” Much as strategy will be a key ingredient, a sound understanding of the market is necessary.

For recruiters, the FMCG sector was a happy hunting ground for talent. Executives from this space could easily move to industries like telecommunications and insurance, given their experience in sales, marketing and distribution. Sharma says this will not work anymore. People position themselves these days as growth experts with experience across sectors, he says. “Be it consumer or automobiles, they have the confidence to pull it off,” says Sharma. That is an indication of how things have changed and are likely to change in the times to come.

“ Companies are looking for talent with adaptability, humility, maturity, and confidence. The focus is on execution skills, people skills and the ability to look at the larger picture ” Ronesh Puri  Managing Director Executive Access

Puri of Executive Access says the need for premium talent will always remain, and those candidates demonstrating a hunger for growth will command a higher premium. “Nomenclatures will change when it comes to job titles but the person who can effect change is the one you want to recruit,” he says. In the middle of this disruption, employees who have been with an organisation for a long time may not gain substantially if they are unable to be a part of the change, adds Puri. In the coming years, the ability to manage change will command even more premium. “New blood coming in means challenging the status quo. A leaner and hungrier organisation with a constant focus on reorientation is what we are going to see for many years.”

As a result of this transformation, functions like data entry and analytics-led jobs have already been replaced, says Deloitte’s Sagar. “We see a lot more demand for roles like tech architecture, green UI/UX, cloud engineering, business experience, and insights management,” she says. “For example, clients can deploy Gen AI to design a new-age intuitive dashboard but would need help from partners like us for deriving real-time insights and driving a value-accretive call to action.” It means her clients need to be served across the end-to-end transformation cycle as opposed to just “advise, implement or operate cycles”. 

These days, roles and job responsibilities are being aligned with global requirements specifically in the context where a sizeable portion of the tech delivery for global clients takes place out of India. “There could be minor variations to suit the local market, but overall, new-age job families and skills are aligned with global changes,” she says.

That only demonstrates how much India Inc. needs to do to get the best out of its talent. But to do that, companies themselves need to continuously go through the process of reorientation. There is no letting up on that.

In the pages that follow, read about how companies are coping with these trends.  

UI Developer : Pankaj Negi Creative Producer : Raj Verma Illustrations : Anirban Ghosh

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A Year on Ozempic Taught Me We’re Thinking About Obesity All Wrong

By Johann Hari

Mr. Hari is a British journalist and the author of “Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits — and Disturbing Risks — of the New Weight Loss Drugs.”

Ever since I was a teenager, I have dreamed of shedding a lot of weight. So when I shrank from 203 pounds to 161 in a year, I was baffled by my feelings. I was taking Ozempic, and I was haunted by the sense that I was cheating and doing something immoral.

I’m not the only one. In the United States (where I now split my time), over 70 percent of people are overweight or obese, and according to one poll, 47 percent of respondents said they were willing to pay to take the new weight-loss drugs. It’s not hard to see why. They cause users to lose an average of 10 to 20 percent of their body weight, and clinical trials suggest that the next generation of drugs (probably available soon) leads to a 24 percent loss, on average. Yet as more and more people take drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, we get more confused as a culture, bombarding anyone in the public eye who takes them with brutal shaming.

This is happening because we are trapped in a set of old stories about what obesity is and the morally acceptable ways to overcome it. But the fact that so many of us are turning to the new weight-loss drugs can be an opportunity to find a way out of that trap of shame and stigma — and to a more truthful story.

In my lifetime, obesity has exploded, from being rare to almost being the norm. I was born in 1979, and by the time I was 21, obesity rates in the United States had more than doubled . They have skyrocketed since. The obvious question is, why? And how do these new weight-loss drugs work? The answer to both lies in one word: satiety. It’s a concept that we don’t use much in everyday life but that we’ve all experienced at some point. It describes the sensation of having had enough and not wanting any more.

The primary reason we have gained weight at a pace unprecedented in human history is that our diets have radically changed in ways that have deeply undermined our ability to feel sated. My father grew up in a village in the Swiss mountains, where he ate fresh, whole foods that had been cooked from scratch and prepared on the day they were eaten. But in the 30 years between his childhood and mine, in the suburbs of London, the nature of food transformed across the Western world. He was horrified to see that almost everything I ate was reheated and heavily processed. The evidence is clear that the kind of food my father grew up eating quickly makes you feel full. But the kind of food I grew up eating, much of which is made in factories, often with artificial chemicals, left me feeling empty and as if I had a hole in my stomach. In a recent study of what American children eat, ultraprocessed food was found to make up 67 percent of their daily diet. This kind of food makes you want to eat more and more. Satiety comes late, if at all.

One scientific experiment — which I have nicknamed Cheesecake Park — seemed to me to crystallize this effect. Paul Kenny, a neuroscientist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, grew up in Ireland. After he moved in 2000 to the United States, when he was in his 20s, he gained 30 pounds in two years. He began to wonder if the American diet has some kind of strange effect on our brains and our cravings, so he designed an experiment to test it. He and his colleague Paul Johnson raised a group of rats in a cage and gave them an abundant supply of healthy, balanced rat chow made out of the kind of food rats had been eating for a very long time. The rats would eat it when they were hungry, and then they seemed to feel sated and stopped. They did not become fat.

But then Dr. Kenny and his colleague exposed the rats to an American diet: fried bacon, Snickers bars, cheesecake and other treats. They went crazy for it. The rats would hurl themselves into the cheesecake, gorge themselves and emerge with their faces and whiskers totally slicked with it. They quickly lost almost all interest in the healthy food, and the restraint they used to show around healthy food disappeared. Within six weeks, their obesity rates soared.

After this change, Dr. Kenny and his colleague tweaked the experiment again (in a way that seems cruel to me, a former KFC addict). They took all the processed food away and gave the rats their old healthy diet. Dr. Kenny was confident that they would eat more of it, proving that processed food had expanded their appetites. But something stranger happened. It was as though the rats no longer recognized healthy food as food at all, and they barely ate it. Only when they were starving did they reluctantly start to consume it again.

Though Dr. Kenny’s study was in rats, we can see forms of this behavior everywhere. We are all living in Cheesecake Park — and the satiety-stealing effect of industrially assembled food is evidently what has created the need for these medications. Drugs like Ozempic work precisely by making us feel full. Carel le Roux, a scientist whose research was important to the development of these drugs, says they boost what he and others once called “satiety hormones.”

Once you understand this context, it becomes clear that processed and ultraprocessed food create a raging hole of hunger, and these treatments can repair that hole. Michael Lowe, a professor of psychology at Drexel University who has studied hunger for 40 years, told me the drugs are “an artificial solution to an artificial problem.”

Yet we have reacted to this crisis largely caused by the food industry as if it were caused only by individual moral dereliction. I felt like a failure for being fat and was furious with myself for it. Why do we turn our anger inward and not outward at the main cause of the crisis? And by extension, why do we seek to shame people taking Ozempic but not those who, say, take drugs to lower their blood pressure?

The answer, I think, lies in two very old notions. The first is the belief that obesity is a sin. When Pope Gregory I laid out the seven deadly sins in the sixth century, one of them was gluttony, usually illustrated with grotesque-seeming images of overweight people. Sin requires punishment before you can get to redemption. Think about the competition show “The Biggest Loser,” on which obese people starve and perform extreme forms of exercise in visible agony in order to demonstrate their repentance.

The second idea is that we are all in a competition when it comes to weight. Ours is a society full of people fighting against the forces in our food that are making us fatter. It is often painful to do this: You have to tolerate hunger or engage in extreme forms of exercise. It feels like a contest in which each thin person creates additional pressure on others to do the same. Looked at in this way, people on Ozempic can resemble athletes like the cyclist Lance Armstrong who used performance-enhancing drugs. Those who manage their weight without drugs might think, “I worked hard for this, and you get it for as little as a weekly jab?”

We can’t find our way to a sane, nontoxic conversation about obesity or Ozempic until we bring these rarely spoken thoughts into the open and reckon with them. You’re not a sinner for gaining weight. You’re a typical product of a dysfunctional environment that makes it very hard to feel full. If you are angry about these drugs, remember the competition isn’t between you and your neighbor who’s on weight-loss drugs. It’s between you and a food industry constantly designing new ways to undermine your satiety. If anyone is the cheat here, it’s that industry. We should be united in a struggle against it and its products, not against desperate people trying to find a way out of this trap.

There are extraordinary benefits as well as disturbing risks associated with weight-loss drugs. Reducing or reversing obesity hugely boosts health, on average: We know from years of studying bariatric surgery that it slashes the risks of cancer, heart disease and diabetes-related death. Early indications are that the new anti-obesity drugs are moving people in a similar radically healthier direction, massively reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke. But these drugs may increase the risk for thyroid cancer. I am worried they diminish muscle mass and fear they may supercharge eating disorders. This is a complex picture in which the evidence has to be weighed very carefully.

But we can’t do that if we remain lost in stories inherited from premodern popes or in a senseless competition that leaves us all, in the end, losers. Do we want these weight loss drugs to be another opportunity to tear one another down? Or do we want to realize that the food industry has profoundly altered the appetites of us all — leaving us trapped in the same cage, scrambling to find a way out?

Johann Hari is a British journalist and the author of “Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits — and Disturbing Risks — of the New Weight Loss Drugs,” among other books.

Source photographs by seamartini, The Washington Post, and Zana Munteanu via Getty Images.

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