An informative magazine feature article on the work of a professional photographer could be a great way to show others that you’re also a serious photographer. This type of article also demonstrates that you are a highly creative, imaginative, and knowledgeable photographer. If you don’t have much writing skills, it would be wise to hire an article writer to write and edit your feature.
Write an article using your annotated bibliography research in a professional tone and style appropriate for a general audience with an eye toward a surprise-reversing approach. Your goal is to catch the attention of your readers by presenting an interesting question, discussing common responses to the question, summarize common techniques for accomplishing the desired goal, and finally offering a new and surprising technique. Your essay should also contain several examples of images that have been taken, if possible. In fact, you should use images that have been used in previous publications to prove that you are a specialist in your field and can provide photographs that will show off your unique skills.
When presenting your information, take care to make your point and be concise. For instance, your first paragraph might say, “The perfect shot is not always easy to take.” But instead, say, “I often find that the most difficult shots are the ones that require my creativity.” Your essay will be much easier to read and edit if you use short sentences and avoid using too much technical jargon. Keep it simple and straight-forward, and remember that it’s not what you know, but rather how well you know what you know.
As a writer, it’s also important to keep your information brief. In other words, don’t try to cover every angle of an idea or event. It’s best to leave an author of an article some room to flesh out his or her ideas and explain them fully. It also makes sense to use the term “idea” when you’re discussing a concept because that’s what the idea is; it isn’t “an idea” when you’re talking about a photograph.
One tip I’ve used to craft some very effective articles is to use the concept of “the punch line” to guide you in crafting your magazine feature essay. A punch line is a single thought or statement that summarizes the central theme of an article; it’s usually the last thing that is written in the article. and serves as the focal point of the essay.
To construct a punch line, ask yourself, “What’s the one idea that’s at the core of this issue? What’s the most striking image that captures people’s attention?” Think about what people have said in past articles that resonates with your current topic; is there something that has caught your attention that may be missing in your article? What would be interesting to add to the concept? If you’re unsure, it’s OK; just think about something else.
Once you’ve determined an important idea, take note of any photos that illustrate the idea. Then write down the photo, that’s the best illustration of the idea. Don’t worry about how similar the photo is to your current article; it doesn’t matter if the two are not identical, just that they share similarities with the central idea.
Once you have the photos, you can begin writing your essay, but make sure you keep the focus of your article on the important idea. In addition to using the punch line to guide you through your essay, include a short bio section to describe the photographer, the photo, its significance to you, and your reasons for using the photograph. If your article isn’t written in an informative manner, you may find yourself being put on hold for a long time during your next meeting, but if you keep your reader’s attention focused on your central idea, they will appreciate the extra information.