Creative Process for Narrative Photography

A course by Paula Thomas, Photographer and Visual Artist

Photographer and Visual Artist. Bogota, Colombia.
Joined February 2020
100% positive reviews (11)
375 students
Audio: Spanish, German, English, French, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian

Narrative photography is a powerful medium for telling stories. Learn to create a photo series from scratch.

In this online course, you will immerse yourself in the fascinating world of narrative photography at the hands of Paula Thomas, a renowned photographer and visual artist. You will learn to create photographic series that tell captivating stories, fusing fashion and documentary in controlled environments with staging. Become an expert in the construction of visual works with their own content and style.

Discover how to structure your story using resources such as light, color and the direction of characters. You will learn to conceptualize your ideas, create storyboards, organize your inspirations and develop an effective shooting process. In addition, you will explore post-production techniques and presentation of your work. Immerse yourself in this unique experience and unlock your imagination to create memorable visual stories.

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What will you learn in this online course?

20 lessons & 29 downloads

What is a photographic series?
9 minutes, 58 seconds
What is a visual narrative?
2 minutes, 46 seconds
How was the idea born?
2 minutes, 33 seconds
Brainstorming
9 minutes, 39 seconds
The storyboard
10 minutes, 4 seconds
  • 100% positive reviews (11)
  • 375 students
  • 20 lessons (3h 22m)
  • 29 additional resources (8 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: Spanish, German, English, French, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
  • Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

In the final project of this course, you will have the opportunity to apply everything you have learned and create a sequence for a photo editorial. From conceptualization to delivery, you will be challenged to develop a visually compelling story with meaningful content.

Using the techniques and resources taught by Paula Thomas, you will be able to transmit emotions and synthesize a story through your images. Show your talent and skills in storytelling photography and surprise the world with your own style.

Who is this online course for?

This course is aimed at all those who are passionate about photography and who wish to unleash their imagination to develop memorable visual stories. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or have previous experience in photography, this course will provide you with the necessary tools to explore visual storytelling in a controlled environment.

If you are looking to tell stories through photography, fusing fashion and documentary, this course is perfect for you. Dive into this creative journey and learn a new way of conveying your ideas and those of others through storytelling photography.

Requirements and materials

To take this course, it is recommended to have basic knowledge of photography and be familiar with an image editing program, such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. In addition, you will need to have the following materials:
A digital camera, interchangeable lenses or native lenses of your camera, tripod, artificial lighting, installed image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.


Reviews

375 Students
11 Reviews
  • More reviews

Paula Thomas

Paula Thomas
A course by Paula Thomas

Teacher Plus
Photographer and Visual Artist

Paula Thomas is a renowned Colombian photographer and visual artist with an outstanding career in editorial production. His work has been published in prestigious outlets such as Vogue, iD and P Magazine, and he has collaborated with renowned brands such as Cartier, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and Warner Music.

In addition to her experience in the field of photography, Paula has worked as a director of photography at VICE and has been a mentor on Behance. She is a member of the Colombian Reojo Photographic Collective and has specialized in addressing issues related to gender and identity, fusing fashion and documentary in her projects.

With a passionate approach to light, color and visual storytelling, Paula seeks to reinterpret emotions and tell stories through her images. Her unique style and innovative perspective make her an inspirational source for those interested in narrative photography and the art of creating visual works with content and style of their own.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • Presentation
    • influences
  • U2

    Prepare everything to tell a story

    • What is a photographic series?
    • What is a visual narrative?
    • Photographic series: narrative resources
    • How was the idea born?
  • U3

    the creative process

    • brainstorming
    • the storyboard
    • Inspiration and mood board
  • U4

    Let's do it

    • Materials and photographic equipment
    • Assemble the set and set up the equipment
    • The photo session: the characters 1
    • The photo session: the characters 2
    • The photo session: the still life
  • U5

    Select, edit and present

    • The selection of images 1
    • The selection of images 2
    • Basic Post Production Settings 1
    • Basic Post Production Settings 2
    • Build series sequence
    • output formats
  • FP

    Final project

    • Narrative photography on studio

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates

    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

You’ll learn how to conceptualize, plan, and produce narrative photo series using lighting techniques, storyboards, mood boards, art direction, and editing to develop your own style and tell stories through images.

This course is aimed at intermediate learners who already have basic photography skills and want to dive deeper into visual storytelling, art direction, and creating personal photo series.

You’ll need basic photography knowledge, a camera (digital or film), access to editing software, and materials for mood boards or storyboards. Professional gear isn’t required, but you should be ready to experiment and create.

The course guides you through self-exploration exercises, analysis of references, brainstorming, and conceptualization practices to help you identify personal themes and visual resources that shape your unique style.

A storyboard is a visual tool that helps you plan each shot, define color palettes, characters, and lighting, ensuring narrative and aesthetic consistency throughout your photo series.

You’ll learn how to select and apply cohesive color palettes using visual references, digital tools, and project themes to strengthen your images’ message and visual unity.

The course covers natural and artificial lighting, use of diffusers, reflectors, and color temperature control to create mood and enhance visual storytelling in portraits and scenes.

Information about the course and certificate


Creative Process for Narrative Photography. Photography, and Video course by Paula Thomas

Creative Process for Narrative Photography

A course by Paula Thomas
Photographer and Visual Artist. Bogota, Colombia.
Joined February 2020
  • 100% positive reviews (11)
  • 375 students