"To tell a story is to share a piece of our humanity."

Yo-Yo Ma

5 Secrets To Boost Your Photography Storytelling

"Photography is all about storytelling." This sentence has been thrown around a lot, and while it is certainly true, I often think. Really? The whole story?

Maybe everyone has a different perception; to me, a great photo just triggers an emotion, which is why I am particularly in love with nature and landscape photography, but almost any good photo can trigger a significant emotional response in me, regardless of the genre. 

Like awe-inspiring reverence, sadness, or hope.

But that is not a story; it is just a feeling.

Feelings can then make me wonder how things came to be, why the photographer chose a particular framing, and so on. That is where we get closer to a story.

The point is that photography can, of course, also be combined with writing to craft a story and give it more depth.

I am talking about specific writing and telling personal stories. For the sake of this article, I am assuming that you already know how to create good photographs.

Today I want to share 5 tips to craft better stories from around the world.

1. Make It Personal: Relate Through Authenticity

In order to tell a good story, there needs to be a hero with struggles and hardships to overcome.

You are that hero. So make sure to be authentic. Ironically, authenticity isn't natural. We have to learn to become authentic by talking to the camera as much as possible. My first Youtube channel really sucked because of that and because of my terrible filmmaking skills.

Now, after not giving up, my videos are more captivating and seem much more authentic.

If you are only planning to write, the same logic applies; good writing requires going through a lengthy learning phase.

The thing is, it doesn't matter.

Just know that, in the grand scheme of things, no one gives a fuck anyway. Practice in public and just fall in love with the process.

Nothing else really matters.

2. Implement Storytelling Elements

According to storytelling guru Mathew Dicks in his book Storyworthy, every good story is about a 5-second moment of inner change.

It is not about the amazing places, the cities you visit, or the countries. It's also not about fancy dinner parties or dramatic events. Instead, it's about the small, often overlooked moments that profoundly change how we see ourselves or the world around us.

These are the instances that resonate most with your audience, making your story not only memorable but also relatable. By honing in on these emotional touch points, you can turn a simple narrative into a powerful tool for connection and engagement.

Think of stories as 5-second moments of before and after.

3. Educate and share insights

People love to learn and absorb new information.

As a traveler or digital nomad, you have the privilege to connect to different cultures and people with almost unlimited supply!

Make sure to really go deep and share what you learn from the people around you. One thing I have learned from posting videos on TikTok is that you can't really know what resonates, so just don't overthink it. Admittedly, this might have to do with the nature of that particular platform, which makes you dumber the longer you watch it, but my point is still valid. 

Another insight I learned along the way is that talking to locals on social media, especially on TikTok, is great because, as soon as you use local SIM cards, your videos are primarily shared with a local audience.

Unless you already have a huge platform and know exactly what resonates and what doesn´t, there is just no way to tell until it is published.

So my advice would be: shoot from the hips and double down on what works with the feedback you get.

4. Write down your memorable moments

Everyone knows journaling is one of these habits that has immense value and whose benefits compound over time.

But I want to go into one specific aspect of journaling. To me, there are two types.

• One is writing down whatever comes to mind with no clear intention, just letting your stream of consciousness do the work. This can be just a few words or flooding the page with whatever thoughts you have.

• Two is to specifically go back 24 hours each day and ask yourself what the most memorable moments of that day were.

The latter is different because it is a specific task with the clear objective of identifying those precise moments in time that had more meaning to you.

The keyword here is "to you."

This can be anything—a realization or conclusion, an event, or a random act of kindness. You also don't have to elaborate too much. A sentence or two is enough to remember and bring it to light.

These add up and become your reservoir of pivotal moments when you want to craft a story.

Just get into the habit. Trust me.

5. Talk to more people

People tell stories and create meaning in our lives, which is why people with healthy relationships live longer.

You might object now and think, "But you are a single solo traveler and digital nomad, and you spend most of the time alone!"

Good point but what matters is the quality.

Here are a few things I do that help me create intimacy and human touch.

I have made it a habit to talk to everyone and strike up conversation wherever I go. To women and random men or kids, it doesn't matter; just say hi and be curious. That is a great habit because you learn valuable social skills along the way, and by doing that, you also learn a ton about people and how they master their lives.

If you have trouble with that because of shyness, I really suggest you call a dating coach or do something to get out of your comfort zone.

Whatever you do, just make sure to never stop telling your ever-evolving story, because that is why the Almighty has put you on this planet.