Photojournalism Techniques to Boost Your Photo Creativity: Tell a Story

By Kevin Painchaud

My photojournalism journey started over 35 years ago, and today I'm fortunate to work as a full-time photojournalist. Through the endless stories that I’ve captured, I’ve discovered that storytelling principles that guide my work in photojournalism apply to every type of photography. Whether you're shooting weddings, portraits, street photography, landscapes, or even product shots, thinking like a photojournalist will transform your creative approach and elevate your images.

The core principle is simple: every photograph should tell a story.

Why Photojournalists Think Differently

In photojournalism, I don't have the luxury of directing scenes or asking subjects to pose. I observe, anticipate, and capture reality as it unfolds. This constraint has taught me to see stories everywhere—and that's a skill that translates directly to creative photography of any kind.

When you approach your photography with a storytelling mindset, you stop simply documenting what's in front of you. Instead, you start asking deeper questions: What emotion am I capturing? What narrative does this frame suggest? What will viewers feel when they see this image?  These questions unlock creativity because they force you beyond technical execution into the realm of meaning and connection.

How Storytelling Principles Enhance All Photography

Portrait Photography: Beyond the Pose

Many portrait photographers focus solely on flattering angles and perfect lighting. But photojournalistic storytelling asks: Who is this person? What defines them?

Instead of just capturing a smile, include elements that reveal character. A musician photographed with their instrument, surrounded by sheet music. An artist with paint-stained hands in their studio. A grandmother in her kitchen where she's cooked for decades. These contextual details transform a portrait from a likeness into a story about identity and passion.

The storytelling approach also means capturing genuine moments rather than forced expressions. Wait for that unguarded laugh, that moment of concentration, that flash of vulnerability. These authentic moments create portraits with depth and emotional resonance.

Wedding Photography: Narrative Arc

Wedding photographers who think like photojournalists don't just shoot a checklist of expected moments. They look for the story unfolding throughout the day.

The nervous energy as the groom adjusts his tie. The mother's hand smoothing her daughter's veil. The flower girl's distracted fascination with her basket. The tearful embrace between old friends. These moments, woven together, create a narrative that's far more powerful than any series of posed group shots.

By applying photojournalistic observation, you anticipate emotional peaks and position yourself to capture them. You're not just recording an event, you're telling the story of two lives joining together.

Street Photography: Finding Meaning in the Mundane

Street photography is perhaps the closest cousin to photojournalism, but the storytelling principle elevates it beyond random captures of urban life.

Look for juxtaposition that creates narrative tension. A person sleeping on a bench beneath a billboard advertising a luxury watch or car. Children playing in an alley with makeshift toys. A businessperson checking their phone while walking past someone asking for help. These contrasts tell stories about society, inequality, joy, isolation, and the human condition.

The photojournalist's eye sees these stories playing out in real time and frames them in ways that make viewers pause and reflect.

Landscape Photography: Beyond the Pretty Scene

Even landscape photography benefits from storytelling thinking. The photojournalist doesn't just capture beautiful vistas, they ask what story this place tells.

A weathered fence line cutting across a field speaks to human presence and the passage of time. Storm clouds gathering over mountains suggest drama. Footprints disappearing into fog create mystery. Including these narrative elements transforms a landscape from decoration into something with emotional weight.

Think about light as a storytelling tool. Golden hour warmth conveys nostalgia and peace. Harsh midday sun can suggest intensity or desolation. Overcast skies create mood and introspection. Choose your timing based on the story you want to tell.

Product and Commercial Photography: Narrative Sells

Even commercial work becomes more compelling with storytelling. Rather than shooting a product in isolation, show it in context. A coffee mug held in weathered hands. Running shoes on a trail with dust kicking up. A book beside a reading lamp with a blanket draped nearby.

These contextual narratives help viewers imagine themselves using the product. You're not just showing them what something looks like, you're telling them the story of how it fits into their life.

Practical Storytelling Techniques for Any Genre

Look for the "before and after" implied in a single frame. Every moment exists in time. What led to this instant? What will happen next? A diver at the edge of a board implies both the climb up and the plunge. This tension creates visual interest.

Use environmental context deliberately. Wide shots establish setting and context. Tight shots focus on emotion and detail. Both tell different aspects of the story. Learn to move between them fluidly.

Pay attention to gestures and body language. Whether photographing people at an event or a subject in a portrait session, human gesture communicates volumes. Hands, posture, the direction of a person’s eyes, the angle of someone's head, these elements reveal emotional states and relationships.

Embrace sequences, not just singles. Shoot multiple frames as scenes develop. In portraits, this might mean capturing someone as they move through natural expressions. In events, it means following action as it unfolds. You'll discover storytelling moments you didn't know existed.

Train yourself to see layers. Look for foreground, middle ground, and background elements that work together to create depth. Layers add complexity and richness to your narrative.

Consider perspective as a storytelling tool. Shooting from a child's eye level tells a different story than shooting from above. Getting low to the ground with a landscape creates drama. Your perspective literally shapes how viewers understand your subject.

The Creative Breakthrough

Here's what happens when you consistently apply storytelling principles to your photography: you stop being passive and start being intentional. You develop an eye for meaningful moments. You learn to anticipate rather than react. You create images that resonate because they connect on an emotional level, not just a visual one.

This is the difference between taking pictures and making photographs.

Throughout my career, including the work that earned me a Pulitzer Prize, the photographs that mattered most were always the ones that told authentic, compelling stories. That principle hasn't changed regardless of what I'm shooting or why.

The good news? Storytelling isn't an innate talent you either have or don't. It's a discipline you practice. Every time you raise your camera, ask yourself: What story am I telling? To this day, for every assignment that I am on, I force myself to ask the question “What is the story?" That simple question will push your creativity further than any new piece of gear or technical trick ever could.

In the coming posts in this series, I'll share more photojournalism techniques that will expand your creative vision. But master this first principle, tell a story, and everything else builds from there.

Kevin Painchaud is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist with over 35 years of photographic experience. Kevin is a full time photojournalist for the online news organization Lookout Santa Cruz. You can follow Kevin Painchaud on Instagram @painchaudkevin or at his site KevinPainchaud.com