Instructions
A. Topic
You will create a photo essay depicting an aspect of climate change in the Niagara Region or your local town/city. The photo essay can focus on a cause or implication of climate change, or a climate change mitigation or adaptation practice.
To help generate some ideas, you may want to check out the Niagara Region’s climate change report:
https://niagararegion.ca/government/planning/pdf/climatechangerport.pdf
B. What to Include
A photo “essay” is a series of photos that work together to communicate a message or tell a story. Each photo
contributes to the overall theme and emotions of the “essay”. Items to include in your photo essay:
• A catchy title
• A brief (1-2 page) introduction to your photo essay – this should include what the climate change
cause/implication/mitigation/adaptation is, any necessary background information (with sources!), and why this
topic is important to communicate. All of these items should help give context for your photos.
• Five (5) original photos with captions – these photos must be taken by you. Include your name as the photo
credit with each caption. Put each photo with its caption on a separate page of your document.
• One (1) page appendix (comes after your references) describing how some of the best practices in
environmental communications (see Module 4 Part 2) were used in the photo essay.
C. File Format
Please submit your photo essay as a PDF file to avoid formatting issues. You can add photos to your Word document and then Export or Save As a PDF. Make sure to reduce the file size of your photos before adding them to Word so that the file you submit to Sakai is small enough. You may have to reduce the PDF file size as well, if the file is still too big.
D. Tips for creating your photo essay
• Think about the main message/theme you want to communicate about climate change – narrow your focus to
ONE aspect that is relevant to your town/city
• Do a bit of research about your topic to get a better idea of what you could photograph, if needed
• How will you frame your message? What mood, emotion, information do you want to portray in your photos?
How will you tell a story through your photos? Who are the characters of your story (doesn’t have to be human
or living)?
2
• Plan a shot list: jot down a sentence for each shot that could contribute to the story/theme
o Lead shot: use this shot to draw in your audience, provoke curiosity, introduce the theme of your essay
o Second shot: use this shot to set the stage, describe the scenery
o Middle shots: choose photos that inform, as well as help people relate by evoking strong emotions or
empathy
o Clincher shot: use this shot to capture a key element of the theme and evoke the emotion you want the
viewer to walk away with
• Choose a range of photos (e.g. wide angle, detailed close ups, portraits, action shots, etc.)
• Choose photos that are both informational and emotional
• Choose an appropriate and effective order: order should flow logically and effectively tell a story about the
theme; viewer should easily be able to pick up on the theme and follow the “story”
• Create visual coherence and unity through the theme itself, or through the structure/order, or other elements
(use of colour, composition, use of light, etc.)
• Does juxtaposition have a role in your essay? If so, how might it affect the meaning and power of the images?
• ***Follow best practices in climate change communication found in the module***
Note: These are not just a random collection of photos about climate change. The photos should work together to tell
ONE story.
