Why Staying With One Story Changed How I See Photographs

A photo exercise you can do close to home that builds focus, intention, and better images.

This is an exercise I have been assigning for years in my one-on-one mentorships and workshops, and it consistently helps photographers move forward regardless of experience level or genre. It is intentionally slow, structured, and sometimes uncomfortable. The goal is not to produce your best work or a portfolio piece. The goal is to give you direction, accountability, and a clear framework to practice, experiment, make mistakes, and then go back and fix them.

I come back to this exercise again and again in my own work because it reliably makes photographers better. Not faster. Not trendier. Better.

Why most photographers stay stuck

Every real leap I have made as a photographer came from slowing down and committing to a multi-image story. That started back in university, photographing college athletes and artists as part of my photo story class, and it carried through my career all the way to projects like documenting the last two northern white rhinos. That growth did not come from chasing single images. It came from staying put and committing to one story.

Think of this exercise as a learning space, not a legacy project. This is not about making the best work of your life. It is about experimenting with how you see, how you build a narrative, how you use light to create mood, and how images complement each other. Most importantly, it allows you to make mistakes in your photography and then go back and fix those mistakes. Wandering the streets rarely allows that.

Professional photographers grow because we are forced into accountability. We have assignments, deadlines, access to negotiate, light to wait for, and editors to answer to. Most amateurs do not have that structure, and without it, growth slows way down. This exercise creates that structure while still leaving room for experimentation and failure.

The assignment

You have one month to complete a fifteen image story. The story must be about one person. Show me who they are and what they do, then sequence the images so they actually tell a coherent story together. The constraints are what make the exercise useful.

Start by finding a subject. A friend or family member is perfect. Think of this as a loose day-in-the-life approach. Choose someone who does something visual — someone who makes, builds, moves, or works with their hands. A painter, a mechanic, a weekend athlete training for an event, or a volunteer at an animal shelter all work well.

Commit to photographing them at least one day a week for a minimum of one hour. Choose a time when they are actually doing what they do. Do not force moments that are not there.

Pick one focal length and stick to it, even though it will feel uncomfortable. Choose a 28mm, 35mm, or 50mm. The goal is to stop thinking about gear and start paying attention to what is in front of you.

Ethics matter

Do not ask your subject to repeat actions, tell them where to stand, or ask them to perform for you. Document what is actually happening in front of you. If you miss a moment, learn from it and anticipate it next time. The real world does not repeat itself, and life is already interesting enough if you pay attention and let it unfold.

Build your story around five image types

Start with a scene setter — a wide shot showing where the person lives or works. Then find details: small, revealing moments that show what they do. Moments humanize your subject — thoughtfulness, frustration, pride, exhaustion, joy. Process shows what they actually do, but be selective; ten nearly identical action shots will kill a story fast. Finally, the environmental portrait usually comes later, once you understand the person better — use light, gesture, texture, and space to say something about who they are.

How to use this exercise to keep improving

After each session, review your images and create a folder of selects — roughly ten percent of what you shot. Before each new shoot, review your strongest images honestly. What is missing? What could be better? Was the light wrong, the expression off, or focus missed? This is why we keep the story simple and repetitive — so you can go back and get it right.

Keep the five image types in mind and start sequencing as you go. Maybe your scene setters are strong, but your moments are weak. Maybe your details feel obvious and boring. Identify the gaps and shoot intentionally to fill them.

This process is not easy. Expect boring days and repetitive frames at first. That is normal. Trust the process and stick with it. This exercise builds patience, sharpens how you see light and composition, and teaches you how to tell a story with intention. Those skills carry over to almost every genre of photography.

If you want to work through this exercise with direct feedback and guidance, I run a monthly mentorship program and workshops for photographers at all levels. Keep growing.