ASSIGNMENT: PICTURE STORY ESSAY
In an essay of approximately 750 words, you are to analyze the form and content of the picture story at the URL below, as completely as you can. Based on your
analysis, construct the best interpretation of it you can.

Expectations
Students who do well on this assignment cover all three areas: content, form and meaning/interpretation and label them with subheadings. A primary objective of the
essay is to get you to see more in a picture story by having
to write about it. It’s important to write enough, but the content and quality of your writing must be good as well.

Content
There are 15 photos by El Salvadorean photographer Fred Ramos that appear on the LENS blog of The New York Times (lens.blogs.nytimes.com). We do not expect you to
write about each of them; you should, instead, use the general/particular approach: Summarize the entire group, then use a few particular images to support your
general observations.
Use these questions to help your analysis:
• What is the overall story arc?
• What are the key images?
• How are the pictures sequenced?
• How do the captions contribute to the story?
• How well do the images complement (help support) the story?
Choose one or two key images and discuss them in depth: Describe their content with concrete nouns and active verbs. If it seems pertinent, you may comment on what is
not in the picture — that is, what you think the photographer might have deliberately excluded, or — because of challenging
circumstances — left out.

Form
Choose ONE key image (it should not be the same as you wrote about for the content) and discuss its form. Form includes …
a) the visual elements: dot, line, shape, form, texture, tonality, directional forces;
b) the principles of design: symmetrical and asymmetrical balance, emphasis, economy, repetition, proportion, unity and variety;
c) lighting: angle, direct and diffuse;
d) camera controls: freezing action, blurring motion, shallow or deep depth of field.
Of course, not every concept applies to every photograph, but we want you to describe all the formal aspects you see in the picture you chose and elaborate on the
important ones.

INTERPRETATION/Meaning
Interpretation involves constructing your personal meaning for the picture story. Drawing on your experiences, what does it mean to you? While you may speculate on the
photographer’s intentions, they are distinct from your interpretation. Go beyond these external factors to construct your own personal meaning.

Thesis, argument, conclusion
• In your introduction make a thesis claim about this picture story that will serve to unify your entire essay.
• In the body, couch your comments and insights about this story as arguments to support your thesis. Whenever possible, point the reader back to your thesis.
• In your conclusion, pull the threads together and recapitulate your claim in works that reiterate your thesis without repeating it verbatim.

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