Visual Storytelling in Street Photography

With the advancement of technology, storytelling has moved from communication tools such as radio or television to online artistic and social networks. One of the languages of expression that this progress diversified and enriched the most is photography. Street photography, on the other hand, is one of the photography branches that benefits the most from this progress due to its applicability and easy sharing on social media. In the art of photography, storytelling is used as multiple images taken in series to tell the same subject. The purpose of this study is to trace the history, describe contemporary implementations, and present examples of how this visual language is performed in the context of street photography and storytelling. In order for the act of taking photographs, which has become a part of life with the popularization of mobile devices, not to become ordinary and lose its meaning, it is mentioned in the study how photographers can make original applications within the scope of storytelling approach while these applications are exemplified with works of past and contemporary artists. In addition to the theoretical aspect of the study, with the objective to better apply storytelling with photographs, the determining factors in the photographic composition in terms of shooting techniques such as location, placement, deficiency, and characters are discussed. Towards adding depth to the study, the works of prominent artists such as William Eugene Smith, John Free, and Clarissa Bonet, who performed street photography with storytelling in the past and are performing it today, are examined. The study is expected to contribute to photographers, artists, and the literature in visual arts and design.