How do you make your photos more engaging?

A good-looking photo gets a glance. A photo with a story behind it gets people to stop and look closer.
In this course, you'll learn what to look for when you're shooting and how to build a series of images around one idea.

This course is for photographers who want to be more deliberate about what they shoot.

You won't need any particular camera or gear. Most of what you'll learn is about what you notice before you take the shot.
This course is for you if...
  • You have a lot of good photos that don't add up to much when you look at them together
  • You'd like to build a series of photos around one idea, person, or place
  • You tend to shoot a lot and sort out what's interesting later
  • You want to know what to look for before you take the shot
  • You're interested in personal projects or documentary-style work

What You'll Learn in This Course

  • Spot the parts of a story while you're shooting, like who's involved and where it's happening
  • Anticipate decisive moments so you're ready when they happen
  • Know which shots a story needs, from the wide scene-setter to the small details
  • Plan and finish a simple long-term project
  • Edit and sequence your photos so the story is easy to follow
  • Know when you need a model or property release, and how to get one
  • BONUS: How to offer your photography to a nonprofit or community group, and what to expect when you do

"This course outlines a less random way of capturing images and therefore adds a layer of interest for myself, my photography, and for the final product."

Kevin Lamport
Everything you need to follow through and finish a complete storytelling project.
What's Included in This Course
9 Video Lessons

Just over 2 hours of structured walkthroughs with text outlines.
Captions in English, Deutsch, Français, Polski, and Español.

4 Downloads

PDF references for offline use, including sample model and property release forms.

2 Assignments

Two optional assignments you can submit for instructor feedback.

Instructor Support

Live chat and email support if you need help along the way.

How the Course is Structured

A clear progression from learning the basics of visual storytelling to completing a long-form project.

Learn what visual storytelling means in photography, and how this course works from start to finish.

  • What makes a photo part of a story
  • How to approach the course and assignments
  • Setting expectations for your project

Build the foundation by learning how stories work visually, and how to recognize them while shooting.

  • Story elements and visual context
  • The role of the Decisive Moment
  • Shooting images that support a narrative

Move from individual images to projects, with an emphasis on planning and ethics.

  • Long-form project planning
  • Editing and sequencing a story
  • Ethics, releases, and legal considerations


Put everything together and think about how to continue developing your storytelling beyond the course.

  • Practicing and refining your approach
  • Final review and feedback
  • Optional nonprofit and community work

Get lifetime access to this course

One-time purchase. No subscription.
Revisit the lessons anytime as your photography evolves.

Start Free Previews Enroll Now - $59

Start Telling Stories With Your Photos

The course is nine lessons, about three hours total, with assignments to help you practice as you go. You'll have lifetime access, so you can come back to it when you start your next project.

Start Free Previews

This course is included in...

Also available as part of a bundle

MEET YOUR TEACHER

John Peltier

I've worked as a documentary photographer since 2012, with projects in Haiti, Guatemala, Uganda, and more, and publications including New York Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and the U.S. National Park Service.

Since 2017, I've brought that rigorous field experience to teaching, primarily to beginners working through the same struggles you're probably facing right now. These courses are built around a proven method to simplify the way you learn photography.

You can see my work at johnpeltierphotography.com.