📸 What's your story? Leave a comment in the first 48hrs of this video being published and tell me what YOUR photographic story is. Include the hashtag #mystory with a brief description of the photographic project you're most proud of, are currently working on, or want to start. I'll reply to all comments but I will also use a random number generator to choose one 'winning' comment! The winner will get a story/portfolio review from me via email AND a free copy of my FULL eBook, "The Camera Doesn't Matter, Professional Secrets for the Amateur Photographer" gallagher-photo.com/learn/ Go beyond single images... I look forward to seeing your story ideas! 👍 Don't forget to like, subscribe and share this video ✊
My local communities inspire me to make stories about them, and what is happening within them, at this moment in time. Thank you Sean for giving us a clear path along which we can travel in order to document this. The sewing group, the boxing club, the mencap club are all tales waiting to be told. I will make books and give them to the communities so that people may look back in years to come. Not world changing , but important in a small way.
Thanks for sharing these, Ann. Having seen the work on your family so far, I know that these other projects will be meaningful and thoughtfully told. You'd be surprised to see how universal themes about family, loss, friendships, community etc. resonate with many. Have a look at the work of my friend and colleague, Patricia Lay-Dorsey. Her very personal work resonates with many ... www.patricialaydorsey.com/GalleryMain.asp?GalleryID=129844&AKey=Q7HKRV3H
@@SeanGallagherPhotographer Hello sir, well said. Nice video. I saw some of Patricia 's projects. Mind blowing and inspiring. I will definitely love to create a photo story of my own.
I‘m still trying to find my own voice as a photographer. Working as a translator of Dutch literature I imitate the style of others on a daily basis. There are so many genres and techniques in photography that fascinate me. But it all feels like copying … Maybe I could pick a subject/motive and shoot it in all the different styles? That probably won‘t bring me closer to my own voice, but I could transfer the principle of translation into photography. For a start. #mystory
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Ruth. Yes, it's a challenge not to imitate or replicate what has come before. But you are unique, you just need to find your voice. To help you find your niche, I suggest determining 1) location... where in the world you are based and how that feeds into your imagery, 2) the subject matter you choose to photograph and what you are interested in, and 3) the style of your photography e.g. colour, Black & White, film etc. Defining these 3 should help you start to find your niche.... maybe the duality of language, culture and identity in imagery as an idea? Since you are a translator.
Hi Ruth. I really appreciate you sharing your story idea. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and while your comment wasn’t selected, I’d still like to send you a copy of my eBook. You can email me at sean@gallagher-photo.com and I’ll send it to you. Thanks for your support and being part of this community ✊📸
Great video Sean. I have 3 ideas that i am choosing from, and working out how i can do them. #mystory would be around 3 potential concepts i want to work with; grief, spirituality from within or haunted places. The difficulty is choosing the one i can actually do. I would turn it into a book and publish that.
Have a look at this B&W work on grief. Powerful and touching use of photographic storytelling. The personal narrative of the subject is very strong and moving. ruclips.net/video/_dAWokJL-c4/видео.html
@@SeanGallagherPhotographer Sean, its so very powerful. I am touched by this man’s compassion, his struggle and dare i say, his misunderstanding too. Grief is probably the one i am passionate about more. I run a grief community and i teach and lecture on grief. I also have a podcast on it. But how do i capture it from multiple persons and not just one individual. You see i have been intimately acquainted with grief all my life and there’s so many stories from others i want to capture or moments. It’s a hard one for sure. I guess the outcome i want to have is to be able to bring understanding and compassion to a man like that and to show him through the story that it is - NOT THE END! It will become a book and a tool.
If you are doing the project in photos only, you may want to make environmental portraits of subjects, then interview them and include poignant quotes and stories etc. to accompany the photos. Perhaps you might want to include an audio/video element too where you record their words. Seeing and hearing a person's story is very powerful.
@@SeanGallagherPhotographer I love that Sean. I had not considered adding video, but this makes sense. I can probably do that with people who come to my retreat. Thats a great approach. Thank you!
Hey Jock. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and while your comment wasn’t selected, I’d still like to send you a copy of my eBook. You can email me at sean@gallagher-photo.com and I’ll send it to you. Thanks for your support and being part of this community ✊📸
I am starting a piece of work on the (ab)use of limestone in the Peak District National Park in the UK. It was inspired by a visit to the polluted outpourings from a limekiln landfill site (dating back 100+ years). The water has a pH of 13 or thereabouts, nothing can live in it yet the rock formations are stunning (they are identical to Baishuitai in China - the white travertine terraces and azure waters). This then got me thinking of the story of the extraction of limestone (Buxton being the home of what was once the largest limestone quarry in Europe) and the subsequent use and it being the source of concrete and cement. Early days...#mystory
@@SeanGallagherPhotographer That's a good question. Initially no (I am not a fan of the human race so avoid photographing them!) but there is something in the communities around the quarries. I expect staff numbers at quarries have reduced significantly over the decades/centuries resulting in a change of demographic around quarries. What were local homes for quarry workers are probably now commuter homes for people working locally or further afield in Stoke or Manchester (or home working). There must be something in that. And also the generally grimyness quarries generate lingering on surfaces in the area. Thanks for that - got me thinking wider.
Hey Paul... I really appreciate you sharing your story idea. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and while your comment wasn’t selected, I’d still like to send you a copy of my eBook. You can email me at sean@gallagher-photo.com and I’ll send it to you. Thanks for your support and being part of this community ✊📸
I am an amateur photographer. I have published a few 'Photo-Walks' on my website. Your idea of Photo Stories is the best suggestion I have got. I wish to to a Photo Story on London where I am staying now and later on Mumbai (India) where I reside. I will apply all your suggestions. Inspiring video. looking forward to many more and joining you on WhatsApp. #mystory
Interesting ideas, Vivek. I would suggest going one step further for your location. Pick a district, maybe a street, or community etc. in those cities that fascinate you and focus in on that for your story. A city is too big a subject, but a small interesting area is more manageable. You can go back again, again and again...get to know people, find the best angles, learn about the light, find the moments etc. ✊📸
Hi Vivek... Thanks for sharing your story idea. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and while your comment wasn’t selected, I’d still like to send you a copy of my eBook. You can email me at sean@gallagher-photo.com and I’ll send it to you. Thanks for your support and being part of this community ✊📸
Hi Sean! I think you already know #mystory , since I applied for your free mentoring. It is a work on the concept of solastalgia: A feeling of emotional or psychic distress brought on by negative changes in the familiar environment.Derived from nostalgia, solastalgia is a form of homesickness felt when one is still at home, but the environment has been altered and feels strange. In 2019, in the context of the largest natural disaster in Europe, this word became part of the reality of the inhabitants of the island of La Palma, Canary Islands, due to the eruption of the Tajogaite Volcano that buried more than 1,200 hectares of land under meters of lava, destroyed almost 1,700 buildings and completely made an entire town disapear. This project aims to delve into this term, and others such as the feeling of attachment to the land, belonging, and resilience. Showing what went with the volcano, but also what still remains.
Hi Fernando. Yes, I remember your project! Are you still continuing it? It's a fascinating idea and one I haven't heard of before. I think it has a lot of potential and it can tell something much deeper about the psychological and physical relationship people have with the land they call home. Really interesting 👍
@@SeanGallagherPhotographerYes! Of course I continue taking photos, almost every week I manage to get a new portrait (it is a delicate subject and it takes a lot of time to contact and explain my project to those affected). In a couple of months I think I will have a sufficient number of portraits with which to be able to present this project for exhibitions, publications in the media, etc. Thank you very much for your words!.They really motivate me to continue forward with my projects and ideas.
Yes, this project speaks to my point in the video about 'access'. As your subject is a delicate one, dealing with destruction and loss etc., having to cooperation of subjects and the wider community is vital.
Hi @@fernandolealpulido9877 Good news. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and your comment was selected! 🙂 Please email me with a selection of 10-15 images (link to gallery online) from your project and I'll feedback via email. Will also send a copy of my eBook. My email is sean@gallagher-photo.com
Hi Sean! I’m working on a story about labor that is primarily done by hand and through physical effort. These are jobs with deep-rooted traditions that have been passed down through generations within the same families. I believe there is a lack of awareness about the origins of the goods we consume and use every day. We often take these products for granted, not realizing where they come from. In an industrialized world, we might assume that everything is made by machines, but it can be surprising to discover that some items are still made by human hands. I’m exploring this subject in different regions, having started in India and now continuing in Indonesia. #mystory
Thanks for sharing this idea, Eduardo. Sounds very interesting focused on an important social topic. I envisage environmental portraits, maybe images of people's hands themselves, personal stories of workers etc. Good luck with the story's development 👍
Hi Eduardo. I really appreciate you sharing your story idea. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and while your comment wasn’t selected, I’d still like to send you a copy of my eBook. You can email me at sean@gallagher-photo.com and I’ll send it to you. Thanks for your support and being part of this community ✊📸
@@shinchan8400 Thank you, Shin Chan! I love visiting India! I have been to Kolkata, Kanpur, Delhi, Amritsar/Punjab. I hope to go back soon and explore other parts of the country.
Very informative and inspiring too. The QR Code on my downloaded book (for WhatsApp Group) does not work. The message is that this is not functional. Can you help meplease?
Hi Vivek. The WhatsApp code was recently updated. You can find the latest one here. Please scan, connect with me and I'll add you to the group... gallagher-photo.com/contact-me/
Hi Sean, I've been aware that photo stories are the next step for me, but I always draw a blank when it comes to formulating a project. I like to travel, but that's not particularly helpful if I need to make return visits. I know you say local is good, but, so far, nothing on my doorstep has inspired me!
Hi Lynn. Sometimes inspiration comes from travelling and being in a completely new place surrounded by a new culture. I personally love that feeling when you arrive in a new place you've never been. The simplest way to start a story in this genre of travel photography is to pick a small part of a city e.g. a street, a neighbourhood, community etc. and focus in on that. You can visit the same small place again and again, get to know people and make a small series around that area you find interesting. Where are you based? I am sure there must be interesting people and places near you!
@@SeanGallagherPhotographer I live on the Black Isle (not an island!) about 8 miles north of Inverness, Scotland. We have a small fruit farm and farm shop which I've been told would make a good photo story - maybe because I live it, I don't see it. Forgot the hashtag in my original comment so here it is now, lol #mystory
Just Googled the Black Isle. Looks like a beautiful place! Yes, there is always the danger that we become blind to the uniqueness of a place when we live there for so long. We're all guilty of that. Having seen your images in the WhatsApp group, you have an eye for documentary photography though. I wonder what fascinating stories you could find if you tried to view your home area in the same way you view other cultures.
📸 What's your story?
Leave a comment in the first 48hrs of this video being published and tell me what YOUR photographic story is. Include the hashtag #mystory with a brief description of the photographic project you're most proud of, are currently working on, or want to start.
I'll reply to all comments but I will also use a random number generator to choose one 'winning' comment! The winner will get a story/portfolio review from me via email AND a free copy of my FULL eBook, "The Camera Doesn't Matter, Professional Secrets for the Amateur Photographer" gallagher-photo.com/learn/
Go beyond single images... I look forward to seeing your story ideas!
👍 Don't forget to like, subscribe and share this video ✊
My local communities inspire me to make stories about them, and what is happening within them, at this moment in time. Thank you Sean for giving us a clear path along which we can travel in order to document this. The sewing group, the boxing club, the mencap club are all tales waiting to be told. I will make books and give them to the communities so that people may look back in years to come. Not world changing , but important in a small way.
Thanks for sharing these, Ann. Having seen the work on your family so far, I know that these other projects will be meaningful and thoughtfully told. You'd be surprised to see how universal themes about family, loss, friendships, community etc. resonate with many. Have a look at the work of my friend and colleague, Patricia Lay-Dorsey. Her very personal work resonates with many ... www.patricialaydorsey.com/GalleryMain.asp?GalleryID=129844&AKey=Q7HKRV3H
@@SeanGallagherPhotographer Hello sir, well said. Nice video. I saw some of Patricia 's projects. Mind blowing and inspiring. I will definitely love to create a photo story of my own.
Thank you for this video! Your videos are great! Thank you for sharing! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🙏🩷
I'm glad you enjoy them 🙏
#Yes it would be great to get your review !
You'll need to share your story idea? 🙂
I‘m still trying to find my own voice as a photographer. Working as a translator of Dutch literature I imitate the style of others on a daily basis. There are so many genres and techniques in photography that fascinate me. But it all feels like copying …
Maybe I could pick a subject/motive and shoot it in all the different styles? That probably won‘t bring me closer to my own voice, but I could transfer the principle of translation into photography. For a start. #mystory
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Ruth. Yes, it's a challenge not to imitate or replicate what has come before. But you are unique, you just need to find your voice. To help you find your niche, I suggest determining 1) location... where in the world you are based and how that feeds into your imagery, 2) the subject matter you choose to photograph and what you are interested in, and 3) the style of your photography e.g. colour, Black & White, film etc. Defining these 3 should help you start to find your niche.... maybe the duality of language, culture and identity in imagery as an idea? Since you are a translator.
Hi Ruth. I really appreciate you sharing your story idea. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and while your comment wasn’t selected, I’d still like to send you a copy of my eBook. You can email me at sean@gallagher-photo.com and I’ll send it to you. Thanks for your support and being part of this community ✊📸
Great video Sean. I have 3 ideas that i am choosing from, and working out how i can do them. #mystory would be around 3 potential concepts i want to work with; grief, spirituality from within or haunted places. The difficulty is choosing the one i can actually do. I would turn it into a book and publish that.
Have a look at this B&W work on grief. Powerful and touching use of photographic storytelling. The personal narrative of the subject is very strong and moving. ruclips.net/video/_dAWokJL-c4/видео.html
@@SeanGallagherPhotographer Sean, its so very powerful. I am touched by this man’s compassion, his struggle and dare i say, his misunderstanding too. Grief is probably the one i am passionate about more. I run a grief community and i teach and lecture on grief. I also have a podcast on it. But how do i capture it from multiple persons and not just one individual. You see i have been intimately acquainted with grief all my life and there’s so many stories from others i want to capture or moments. It’s a hard one for sure. I guess the outcome i want to have is to be able to bring understanding and compassion to a man like that and to show him through the story that it is - NOT THE END! It will become a book and a tool.
If you are doing the project in photos only, you may want to make environmental portraits of subjects, then interview them and include poignant quotes and stories etc. to accompany the photos. Perhaps you might want to include an audio/video element too where you record their words. Seeing and hearing a person's story is very powerful.
@@SeanGallagherPhotographer I love that Sean. I had not considered adding video, but this makes sense. I can probably do that with people who come to my retreat. Thats a great approach. Thank you!
Hey Jock. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and while your comment wasn’t selected, I’d still like to send you a copy of my eBook. You can email me at sean@gallagher-photo.com and I’ll send it to you. Thanks for your support and being part of this community ✊📸
I am starting a piece of work on the (ab)use of limestone in the Peak District National Park in the UK. It was inspired by a visit to the polluted outpourings from a limekiln landfill site (dating back 100+ years). The water has a pH of 13 or thereabouts, nothing can live in it yet the rock formations are stunning (they are identical to Baishuitai in China - the white travertine terraces and azure waters). This then got me thinking of the story of the extraction of limestone (Buxton being the home of what was once the largest limestone quarry in Europe) and the subsequent use and it being the source of concrete and cement. Early days...#mystory
Sounds like a really interesting idea, Paul. Are there any effects on communities in the local area, or has the main effects been on the landscapes?
@@SeanGallagherPhotographer That's a good question. Initially no (I am not a fan of the human race so avoid photographing them!) but there is something in the communities around the quarries. I expect staff numbers at quarries have reduced significantly over the decades/centuries resulting in a change of demographic around quarries. What were local homes for quarry workers are probably now commuter homes for people working locally or further afield in Stoke or Manchester (or home working). There must be something in that. And also the generally grimyness quarries generate lingering on surfaces in the area. Thanks for that - got me thinking wider.
No problem. Always good to get other perspectives on ideas. Good luck with the project!
Hey Paul... I really appreciate you sharing your story idea. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and while your comment wasn’t selected, I’d still like to send you a copy of my eBook. You can email me at sean@gallagher-photo.com and I’ll send it to you. Thanks for your support and being part of this community ✊📸
I am an amateur photographer. I have published a few 'Photo-Walks' on my website. Your idea of Photo Stories is the best suggestion I have got. I wish to to a Photo Story on London where I am staying now and later on Mumbai (India) where I reside. I will apply all your suggestions. Inspiring video. looking forward to many more and joining you on WhatsApp. #mystory
Interesting ideas, Vivek. I would suggest going one step further for your location. Pick a district, maybe a street, or community etc. in those cities that fascinate you and focus in on that for your story. A city is too big a subject, but a small interesting area is more manageable. You can go back again, again and again...get to know people, find the best angles, learn about the light, find the moments etc. ✊📸
Grateful for your practical suggestions. I will work on these. Thanks a million, I am grateful
👍
Hi Vivek... Thanks for sharing your story idea. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and while your comment wasn’t selected, I’d still like to send you a copy of my eBook. You can email me at sean@gallagher-photo.com and I’ll send it to you. Thanks for your support and being part of this community ✊📸
@@SeanGallagherPhotographer Grateful. I have sent email. Thanks again,
Hi brother are u coming in my city Latur😍
I have been to Latur before. Interesting place! gallagher-photo.com/environmental-stories-drought-india/
Hi Sean!
I think you already know #mystory , since I applied for your free mentoring.
It is a work on the concept of solastalgia: A feeling of emotional or psychic distress brought on by negative changes in the familiar environment.Derived from nostalgia, solastalgia is a form of homesickness felt when one is still at home, but the environment has been altered and feels strange.
In 2019, in the context of the largest natural disaster in Europe, this word became part of the reality of the inhabitants of the island of La Palma, Canary Islands, due to the eruption of the Tajogaite Volcano that buried more than 1,200 hectares of land under meters of lava, destroyed almost 1,700 buildings and completely made an entire town disapear.
This project aims to delve into this term, and others such as the feeling of attachment to the land, belonging, and resilience. Showing what went with the volcano, but also what still remains.
Hi Fernando. Yes, I remember your project! Are you still continuing it? It's a fascinating idea and one I haven't heard of before. I think it has a lot of potential and it can tell something much deeper about the psychological and physical relationship people have with the land they call home. Really interesting 👍
@@SeanGallagherPhotographerYes! Of course I continue taking photos, almost every week I manage to get a new portrait (it is a delicate subject and it takes a lot of time to contact and explain my project to those affected). In a couple of months I think I will have a sufficient number of portraits with which to be able to present this project for exhibitions, publications in the media, etc. Thank you very much for your words!.They really motivate me to continue forward with my projects and ideas.
Yes, this project speaks to my point in the video about 'access'. As your subject is a delicate one, dealing with destruction and loss etc., having to cooperation of subjects and the wider community is vital.
Hi @@fernandolealpulido9877 Good news. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and your comment was selected! 🙂 Please email me with a selection of 10-15 images (link to gallery online) from your project and I'll feedback via email. Will also send a copy of my eBook. My email is sean@gallagher-photo.com
Hi Sean!
I’m working on a story about labor that is primarily done by hand and through physical effort. These are jobs with deep-rooted traditions that have been passed down through generations within the same families. I believe there is a lack of awareness about the origins of the goods we consume and use every day. We often take these products for granted, not realizing where they come from. In an industrialized world, we might assume that everything is made by machines, but it can be surprising to discover that some items are still made by human hands. I’m exploring this subject in different regions, having started in India and now continuing in Indonesia. #mystory
Thanks for sharing this idea, Eduardo. Sounds very interesting focused on an important social topic. I envisage environmental portraits, maybe images of people's hands themselves, personal stories of workers etc. Good luck with the story's development 👍
Hi Eduardo. I really appreciate you sharing your story idea. I used a random number generator to choose a comment and while your comment wasn’t selected, I’d still like to send you a copy of my eBook. You can email me at sean@gallagher-photo.com and I’ll send it to you. Thanks for your support and being part of this community ✊📸
Iove from India 🇮🇳
@@shinchan8400 Thank you, Shin Chan! I love visiting India! I have been to Kolkata, Kanpur, Delhi, Amritsar/Punjab. I hope to go back soon and explore other parts of the country.
Very informative and inspiring too. The QR Code on my downloaded book (for WhatsApp Group) does not work. The message is that this is not functional. Can you help meplease?
Hi Vivek. The WhatsApp code was recently updated. You can find the latest one here. Please scan, connect with me and I'll add you to the group... gallagher-photo.com/contact-me/
Hi Sean, I've been aware that photo stories are the next step for me, but I always draw a blank when it comes to formulating a project. I like to travel, but that's not particularly helpful if I need to make return visits. I know you say local is good, but, so far, nothing on my doorstep has inspired me!
Hi Lynn. Sometimes inspiration comes from travelling and being in a completely new place surrounded by a new culture. I personally love that feeling when you arrive in a new place you've never been. The simplest way to start a story in this genre of travel photography is to pick a small part of a city e.g. a street, a neighbourhood, community etc. and focus in on that. You can visit the same small place again and again, get to know people and make a small series around that area you find interesting. Where are you based? I am sure there must be interesting people and places near you!
@@SeanGallagherPhotographer I live on the Black Isle (not an island!) about 8 miles north of Inverness, Scotland. We have a small fruit farm and farm shop which I've been told would make a good photo story - maybe because I live it, I don't see it. Forgot the hashtag in my original comment so here it is now, lol #mystory
Just Googled the Black Isle. Looks like a beautiful place! Yes, there is always the danger that we become blind to the uniqueness of a place when we live there for so long. We're all guilty of that. Having seen your images in the WhatsApp group, you have an eye for documentary photography though. I wonder what fascinating stories you could find if you tried to view your home area in the same way you view other cultures.