Zoom In, Zoom Out: Fact, Fiction, and the Art of Photographic Storytelling with Dan Milnor
From photojournalism to creative storytelling
When I decided to make photography my career, I chose photojournalism as my specific area of study. You know, that genre of photography with all the rules. Can’t do this, can’t do that, and don’t even think of doing THAT. Photojournalism was perfect for me. Not that I was a strictly by-the-book person, but the idea that my profession had ethics and a line I could not cross made me work harder and think harder while attempting to get as close to that line as possible.
Photojournalism was about news and deadlines. Most of what I worked on was relevant to the community, and each day typically consisted of multiple deadlines that could not be breached. Presses would hold for print until that final moment, but if you missed a deadline, it could be career-ending.
There was a certain level of what I will call “wonderful stress.” Each day was a rapidly changing canvas. Emergency messages from the photo desk, high-speed runs to breaking news, and frantic edits straight from the negatives or transparencies. People yelling and the sound of fingers striking keys in the newsroom created a bizarre yet beautiful world. When I departed from journalism, I longed for this atmosphere and pressure.
The power of photo fiction
I no longer live in the journalism world. I still make pictures and tell stories, but the pressure now is self-inflicted. There is no longer a newsroom, assignments, or anyone yelling at me to perform or meet the deadline. Now, I am entirely left alone to my own devices. And how things have changed.
Newswriting is a specific form of writing that is incredibly limiting. Some would say formulaic. But it works for the intended purpose. If you write for the news long enough, the restrictions can become stifling. Now that I no longer work under these conditions, the writing portion of my creative practice has been thriving. I can now blend fictional narratives with documentary imagery, something I was never able to do, and this has been life-changing.
Merging fact and fiction has allowed me to see that using fiction is sometimes as or more powerful than using fact. This is somethingI would have considered blasphemy back in my journalism days. I’ve often been so myopically focused on my work that I couldn’t see the overall picture. I lacked context. Zooming out from my work and using things like fictional essays has not only refreshed my view on photography, but it has also made my work better and relevant for more than my existing audience.
Photo fiction and creative freedom: finding new narratives
My current approach to blending fact and fiction combines one still photograph and a completely fabricated narrative based on that photograph. I then record the written narrative and post the pair as a film on my YouTube channel. The most important aspect of this approach is that it allows me to use my imagination without limitation. I’ve discovered that the best results come when I have no distractions but with a time limit, which forces me to focus. I’ve written photo fiction stories like these sitting near a river in the mountains and on long flights. You can create them almost anywhere at any time.
Once the bounds of tradition were lifted, my work shifted dramatically. I now use illustrations along with my imagery, and I’ve purposely begun to question my training to see what other rules I can break. Sometimes, if our focus is too narrow, we can ignore the bigger picture or alternative paths that might better tell our story.
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Dan Milnor is a professional photographer, author, and Blurb’s creative ambassador. His photography and bookmaking advice help creators of every kind realize their creative potential. Ready to turn your photography into a photo book? Join us at Blurb.