How to Create a Compelling Series With Your Photographs

One of the more exciting aspects of photography is creating a series of images that takes the viewer on a mission of discovery

Grab your gear, and let’s craft a photo series — the photographer’s secret weapon.

It’s a fun experience that leads to a richer, more profound understanding of your art. Yes, making a series helps you learn more about your work.

And this isn’t just an exercise like leading lines or finding a bunny in the clouds, it’s a creative gift to make you think — and make.

A catalyst for creating images that engage.

This is one of the ways we discover our passions, our style, our voice.

A series is a curated collection of images that align to make something more. To tell a story, present an idea, change the whole damn world.

The basis of your series is your subject.

Start with a seed image, a single photo that calls for another.

That’s your aha moment, baby. The moment you realize that one image could lead to another image — and then another.

Maybe they were shot all at once, or maybe they were pulled together from decades of photographic exploration.

Maybe it’s meticulously orchestrated?

Or a fortunate stroke of serendipity?

Subjects? Literally everywhere.

From the intimate detail of macro photography to the grandeur of architectural structures, the delightful playfulness of food, or the adrenaline rush of adventure sports.

I noticed that I had been shooting girls looking off-camera for years. It was something that I liked to do when doing editorial fashion or beauty work.

I decided to make a series based on this particular framing.

This is the image that I started with.

Taken above made in Virginia Beach.

Image above: Miranda in Santa Cruz

Photo of Briana, Borrego Springs, CA

I curated and combined all of the images to make a series I call GLOCAS: Girls Looking Off Camera At Stuff. You can see the series at the link.

The images span about 15 years with one image being at least 36 years old.

Mix and match styles like a painter with a palette.

How about capturing landscapes?
A succession of scenes?
Absolutely, that’s a series.

Strive for the extraordinary.
Get specific, get purposeful.
What’s your story?
What are you yearning to portray?
How about seasons in a landscape?
Document the same spot every month.
The transformation, the metamorphosis — that’s a story with a punch.

Next, shape your form.

The common threads.

Your style, format, framing, lighting — that’s the glue that binds your photos together.

This is a series I did with Briana in a black dress.

The series above was shot in an hour or so along the Apache Trail. We had several images scheduled, but this little series happened when we stopped to have a bit of lunch. The incongruity of the sheath dress and boots against the rugged landscape of the Superstition Mountains was the sub-theme.

Not keen on repetition? Fair enough.

Stick to your theme like glue.

And sure, a little room for serendipity never hurts.

The cornerstone of your series is connection.

Be meticulous as you sort, carefully inspecting your images. You’re a treasure hunter on the prowl, looking for unexpected links, hidden gems.

Aesthetics are important, and a valuable tool, but remember they are there to support the subject.

Unless, of course, aesthetics is your subject.

Feeling stuck?
Don’t hesitate to seek feedback.
Ask a friend to take a look.
Use a trusted online community for solid, positive feedback.

A fresh perspective can clear the fog and illuminate your vision.

This image of buoys on a fence in Maine sparked an idea to put my Maine photos into a book. You can see the whole series here.

In the images of Maine, what ties them together is time and place.

The subject is Maine as I discovered it in six successive days. The glue of the series is that place and that time frame.

The final part is post-production. Unless you’ve been sprinkled with pixie dust and everything you touch turns perfect (and if that’s the case, do share your secret), you’ll need some post-production.

Exposure, contrast, color, texture, aren’t just technical details, they’re vital ingredients that create a consistent visual buffet.

They’re the lifeblood of your aesthetics, a key to your series’ unity.

In analog days, we had a wide selection of papers, developers, toners, surfaces, and base colors (cream vs white vs bright white).

With digital, we have an entire universe of possibilities.

Creating a photo series is an odyssey. An inward-focused expedition that sharpens skills and crystallizes vision.

A photo series is more than just a sequence, it’s a canvas for your artistry.

It magnifies your imagery and creates something larger than the single images can present on their own.

All images above by Don Giannatti.

Hi, I’m Don Giannatti, a photographer and mentor for up-and-coming photographers. You can find me on my own site, Don Giannatti, and at my Substack site, where I also publish for creative people. All free subscribers to my Substack have access to a free long-form workshop on the business of commercial and professional photography.

The photo of me by Carol Rioux, light-painted in Calgary. And yes, I am looking at stuff off camera.