Your Photo Project
From planning to publication & everything in between, storyteller and conservation photographer, Peter Mather will walk you through everything you need to know to create a successful long-form narrative story with your images.
Tell a story with your images
December 10, 12 & 17, 2024 | Tuition: $315
Three two-hour sessions online. Each session will begin at 8 PM EST. It will be recorded and made available to registered participants for 60 days. Tuition is non-refundable.
In today’s visually driven world, powerful images stand out—but what truly sets exceptional photo projects apart is storytelling. In this online workshop, conservation photographer Peter Mather will guide you through the art of long-form narrative photography. Learn how to craft compelling story arcs that engage your audience, build empathy, and elevate your work. Peter will cover creative techniques for visual storytelling, tips for securing funding, and strategies for sharing your project with the world. You’ll also receive personalized feedback on your project, helping you take the next steps on your photographic journey. Through real-world case studies and Peter’s personal experiences, you’ll gain the tools and insight needed to master storytelling in your long-term photography projects.
Bring Your Long-Term Photography Project to Life
This course is tailored for photographers working on a long-term project, whether you’re just starting with an idea or already deep into photographing it. No matter where you are in the process, this workshop will help you shape and refine your project.
To fully benefit from the course, students should be comfortable using their cameras in manual mode and have a strong grasp of exposure and basic composition principles.
Course Outline
Session One
Long Form Narrative Storytelling: Wildlife and Conservation Photo Stories
In this first session, we will walk through the first steps of a photography project. We will discuss finding and planning a story, fleshing out the logistics of how long it will take, what images you’ll need to share the story, and figuring out how you will tell the story. We will then examine a few case studies of successful photography projects and the details of how and why they were successes.
Session Two
Photographic Techniques: Harnessing Your Creativity
Our second session will dive into the nitty-gritty of documenting your story. This is where you can really let your creativity fly! Peter will share a variety of photographic techniques that can be valuable in storytelling. We will touch on camera trapping, lighting techniques, aerial techniques, and more! We will also delve into creating and maintaining relationships with your project’s subjects and contacts.
Session Three
Developing YOUR Project & Making a Living
The third session is all about you and the group! Each student will have the opportunity to share their project and get feedback from Peter and the class community. We will help you talk through the challenges you are facing at the outset or midst of your project. You will also get feedback on what your next steps could be to continue making headway in your project.
Our final session will dive into the lesser discussed side of photography: supporting yourself with your work. Peter will draw on his experiences and will discuss finances, partners, pitching magazines before and during a project, getting stories out into the world, the classic elevator pitch, and photo competitions.
Meet Your Instructor
Peter Mather
Peter has been deeply involved in conservation photography in Northern Canada for the past 10 years. Peter specializes in working with First Nations people on conservation projects on their traditional lands, celebrating their unique cultures and tying together stories of people, wildlife and landscapes.
Peter’s photography is a cross between photojournalism and fine art. His goal is to inspire people to explore outdoors and to protect and preserve our wildlife and our wildlands.
“Photography gives me the opportunity to capture a unique moment in time. I love it because a single image can tell a story, inform and inspire. When I click my shutter release I’m aiming to do all three.”
He is an Associate Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, represented by Minden Pictures stock agencies, and an ambassador for Panasonic Cameras.